Germany and the European Union call on Turkey to stop the military offensive in North Syria, threaten with a ban on weapon exports and economic sanctions. But Germany and the EU seem to be rather powerless.
The Chancellor has clearly spoken text. On Sunday you had a telephone conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was the desire of the Turkish side. Angela Merkel has called in the approximately hour-long meeting, an “immediate end to the military operation”. Merkel warned Erdogan that the Offensive could regardless of the legitimate security interests to the displacement of large parts of the local population, said a government spokesperson after the phone call. In addition, a destabilization of the Region and a resurgence of the terrorist militia Islamic state (IS), threatened, it was more.
Difficult partners: Kanzerlin Merkel and President Erdogan
So, or similar to, almost mantra imprisonment had expressed since the beginning of the Turkish Invasion on Wednesday with other members of the government–. To the top of the doubter and critic, had been foreign Minister Heiko Maas. He left it at a threat and had already last weekend, that Germany will not supply any further arms to Turkey. The Export ban did not, however, relates to older delivery commitments and applies only for goods and weapons that could be used in the Syria conflict.
The Opposition criticized the stop of arms exports as “air number”
The Opposition finds this attitude of half-hearted and hypocritical, and calls for a more rigorous Action of the government. The sanctions, which only affects future deliveries, was a “half-hearted response” and will not show effects, criticized the Green-Chairman Anna Lena Baerbock. An “air number” is the announcement by the Minister for foreign Affairs, said Sevim Dagdelen of the party “The Left”. You spoke of “tactical games” from the government.
In fact, about a third of the German arms exports to the NATO-Partner Turkey. A profitable business for the German armaments industry. In the past year, weapons were in the value of 242,8 million euros to the country. In just the first four months of 2019 were 184,1 million euros. This year, it was mainly goods from the so-called “Maritime area”, so the weapons and Material that can not be used in the Syria offensive, because this is led by the soil and the air.
EU diplomacy instead of decisive Action
The German foreign Minister had already given at the beginning of an EU foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday to set the tone: “It is important to stay with the Turkey (…) in the Dialog, to be able to act on them,” said Heiko Maas.
And so also of the EU decision was in Luxembourg. On a decisive, unanimous arms embargo for all EU States could not agree. Reference is made only to the significant Boycott of the signals from Germany and France. So: a bit of a Boycott, and otherwise Talk and Hope.
Camp for Syrian refugees in Islahiye, southeastern Turkey
The refugee Convention as a threat
The German government and the EU have a hard, solid and firmly against Turkey to proceed. The country is a NATO and trading partner and important ally in terms of refugees, you don’t want to alienate. Turkey has taken since the beginning of the civil war in Syria, about three million refugees; more than any other country in the world. In a refugee Pact with the European Union, Turkey has said six billion euros to the country refugees supports on-the-spot. The goal: more “refugees” to Western Europe to prevent it. But the fear is palpable. A spokesman for the Ministry of the interior reassured, the German authorities had prepared a “comprehensive, effective, and better than 2015”; to the beginning of the so-called “refugee crisis”.
President Erdogan is using this Pact against critics of the military operation in Northern Syria and threatens. To the German government contacted, he had attacked in a recent speech in Germany violently: “you on our page, or on those of the terrorist organization?” And the Turkish foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, warned in an Interview with the German wave of open, to millions of Syrian refugees from Turkey across the border to Europe: “of Course, this Option is on the table”.
German Kurds protest in Frankfurt a. m. at the weekend, against the Turkish military offensive
Fear of Turkish-Kurdish violence in Germany
The military invasion in Northern Syria provides another reason, in Germany for great concern. This was already in the first days after the beginning of the Offensive to clear protest demonstrations on the streets of many major cities. In Germany, approximately three million people with a Turkish migrant background or whose roots are in Turkey. Many of them support the Invasion of President Erdogan. The 1.2 million Kurdish people against the Turkish government, more critical and has already gone Thousands on the streets to protest against the Invasion. The polarisation will increase, experts generally agree, and fear that the Protest could soon be violence day.
The Turkish military invasion in the North of Syria has brought the German government can be seen in the trouble.