Spain will stop issuing new arms export licenses to Turkey for fear that the weapons could be used in the latter's military action in northern Syria, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday
MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th October, 2019) Spain will stop issuing new arms export licenses to Turkey for fear that the weapons could be used in the latter's military action in northern Syria, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.The move follows Monday's meeting of EU foreign ministers, who committed to limiting arms sales to Turkey but stopped short of endorsing an EU-wide ban. The UK and Czech governments said they had halted exports.
"In coordination with its partners in the European Union, Spain will deny new licenses for exports of military materials that could be used in the operation in Syria," the Spanish ministry said in a statement.
It also indicated that Spain would not withdraw the 150 troops it had in� Turkey as part of a NATO operation. This came after Spanish media reported that Madrid could reconsider its military presence in the area if the Turkish-Syrian conflict escalated.
Turkey launched a military offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces last week in a bid to create a safe zone where Syrian refugees could be resettled. The European Union condemned the operation, which has killed many civilians and displaced 160,000 others, according to UN figures.
