11.10.2019 - Immediate arms export ban of Germany against Turkey
Press Release Action Outcry - Stop the Arms Trade ("Aktion Aufschrei - Stoppt den Waffenhandel")
Berlin / Freiburg, 11th October 2019
Immediate arms export ban of Germany against Turkey
No weapons for illegal military operation in Syria
"Turkey is once again attacking Kurdish cities in Syria. Already, we have seen reports of people dying and 60’000 more fleeing the region. We condemn this invasion of Turkey in northeast Syria and welcome calls by the German federal government and the president of the EU commission Juncker demanding the immediate termination of Turkey’s military campaign. However, political action must ensue from these words. The federal government must immediately halt arms exports to Turkey. Licences already issued for the export of war weapons and military equipment must be withdrawn and new licences must not be issued. We must prevent Turkey from waging war in Syria in contravention of international law and continue to use German weapons to do so", Christine Hoffmann, Secretary General of “Pax Christi” and spokeswoman of the "Aktion Aufschrei - Stoppt den Waffenhandel!" (Action Outcry - Stop the Arms Trade) said in an emphatic appeal to the Federal Government.
"Finland, which currently holds the EU Council Presidency, has imposed a ban on arms exports to Turkey. This is the only correct course of action. The Finnish government has rightly decided not to issue any new licences for arms exports and to review licences already issued. In view of the deadly military intervention, the German government must follow this decision immediately," said Jürgen Grässlin, spokesman for the German Peace Society (DFG-VK) and spokesman for the "Aktion Aufschrei - Stoppt den Waffenhandel" (Action Outcry - Stop the Arms Trade) campaign. “The unscrupulous military action of the Erdogan government against Kurds in the country shows how problematic arms exports to NATO countries are. According to the Common Position on the Control of Exports of Military Technology and Equipment (adopted in 2008), anyone waging war or violating human rights may not receive any weapons of war from an EU countryn – this includes Germany".
Media Contacts
Christine Hoffmann, pax christi - +49 30 200 767 812, c.hoffmann@paxchristi.de // Jürgen Grässlin, DFG-VK - +49 170 611 37 59, graesslin@dfg-vk.de
Campaign Sponsors: Aktionsgemeinschaft Dienst für den Frieden e.V. (AGDF) • aktion hoffnung Rottenburg-Stuttgart e.V. • Bischöfliches Hilfswerk MISEREOR • Brot für die Welt - Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung • Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend (BDKJ) • Deutsche Friedensgesellschaft – Vereinigte KriegsdienstgegnerInnen (DFG-VK) • Deutsche Sektion der Internationalen Ärzte für die Verhütung des Atomkrieges e. V. (IPPNW) Deutschland • NaturFreunde Deutschlands • Internationale katholische Friedensbewegung pax christi - Deutsche Sektion • JuristInnen gegen atomare, biologische und chemische Waffen (IALANA) Deutsche Sektion • Ohne Rüstung Leben (ORL) • Provinzleitung der Deutschen Franziskaner und Kommission Gerechtigkeit – Frieden – Bewahrung der Schöpfung • RüstungsInformationsBüro (RIB e.V. / ArmsInformationCentre) • terre des hommes – Hilfe für Kinder in Not • Werkstatt für Gewaltfreie Aktion, Baden (WfG)
Many further organisations and peace initiatives work with the campaign.
Translation by Ruth Rohde, RüstungsInformationsBüro (RIB e.V., ArmsInformationCentre), GLOBAL NET - STOP THE ARMS TRADE