Tuesday, 24 January 2023
During today's proceedings of the 1st part of the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), MEP Mr. Kostis Efstathiou submitted a written question to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mrs. Annalena Baerbock, who addressed the Assembly's plenary session.
Mr Efstathiou points out that the German Government has announced a "restrictive" policy regarding the export of military equipment to third countries, which it decides on a case-by-case basis, and that, as a matter of principle, it refrains from supplying arms to areas of crisis or conflict.
Efstathiou points out that the German Government has announced a "restrictive" policy regarding the export of military equipment to third countries, which it decides on a case-by-case basis, and that, as a matter of principle, it refrains from supplying arms to areas of crisis or conflict. However, he says, German weapons are still being used in war zones by countries such as Turkey, which is engaged in conflicts in the Eastern Mediterranean and more widely, and is escalating its aggressive behaviour towards Cyprus and Greece as part of its revisionist "Blue Homeland" doctrine. At the same time as the human rights situation in Turkey continues to deteriorate, he added.
How, the Cypriot MP asks, does a leading European power such as Germany intend to react to Ankara's plans to further militarise the occupied territories of Cyprus, which is European territory, with the arrival of fighters, in addition to the drones already stationed in the occupied territories, and with the forthcoming construction of a naval base, as well as a radar base, aimed at monitoring the entire area, thus turning Cyprus into a base for its future military operations?
Finally, the Cypriot MEP asks whether Turkey's expansionism and its disregard for international law, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and democratic principles are not sufficient reason for Germany to impose a complete embargo on arms sales to Turkey, thus setting an example for other countries exporting arms to Turkey to do the same. Do you not think that the German government's reluctance to show more decisiveness towards authoritarian countries such as Turkey is contributing to a further increase in tension in the Eastern Mediterranean?
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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