MESOP NEWS FOCUS : Austrian parliament votes to restrict weapons sales to Turkey

25 Nov 2016 – VIENNA,— The National Council of Austria on Thursday unanimously supported a motion for the government to restrict the sale of arms to Turkey, the Austria Press Agency reported.

All six parties to the council backed the motion, that urged the government to consider the “threat of armed conflicts” as well as the human rights situation when considering approval of such exports.

It additionally specified the treatment by the Erdogan government of journalists, opposition politicians, as well as the Kurdish population in Turkey as grounding for the motion.

“The applicants are thus convinced that under these circumstances no deliveries of war materials, defense goods or dual-use goods for military or police purposes to Turkey may take place from Austria,” it was stated.

The motion did not specifically refer to an “embargo” though its terms still remain open.

Leader of the People’s Party parliamentary group Reinhold Lopatka noted that Austria has not delivered war weapons to Turkey in recent times. www.mesop.de