Although Germany has not officially imposed an arms embargo on Turkey, there is an "informal" ban, Turkish Defense Minister Hulsi Akar said in an interview with Sedat Ergin, a columnist for the pro-government newspaper Hürriyet.
Ergin wrote in his column that last week he held a meeting with Akar, during which the minister touched upon the problems associated with Turkey's acquisition of weapons from Germany.
The article notes that when asked whether there are any changes from the German side regarding Turkey's request for the supply of military products, Akar replied that there is no progress in this direction yet.
"When German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer arrived in Turkey at the beginning of the summer, we continued discussing the same issues. Unfortunately, there is an embargo against Turkey, which is not officially mentioned, "the minister said, adding that Germany's position "harms" not only Turkey, but also the NATO alliance.
"Sometimes there are problems with permits for the export of military products that Turkey wants to buy.
This is due to some negative sentiments in the domestic policy of Germany. Here we are talking about hundreds of military goods, including engines for tanks and howitzer batteries, " the columnist pointed out in his column in February.
According to the observer, within the framework of the informal embargo, a distinction is made between the equipment used for the naval and land forces.
"Germany also does not hide that such a difference takes place," he said, quoting the statements of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made last year.
Recall that in July 2020, Maas told the German newspaper General-Anzeiger that Germany does not approve the sale of weapons to Turkey, with the exception of vehicles and equipment used by the naval forces.
"What Turkey has done in the Syrian war is unacceptable for us," the portal quotes the politician Dialog.tj.