Germany considers lifting arms embargo on Turkey

Germany decided in 2000 not to supply Turkey with 1,000 Leopard-II tanks worth $7.1 billion because of the opposition of junior coalition partner the Greens and Turkey’s poor human rights record.

"Because of Turkey’s improving human rights record and accession to the European Union process, the German Defense Ministry is considering lifting the embargo on arms exports to Turkey and wants to sell its hundreds of used Leopard tanks," said Handelsblatt.

Meanwhile, Deputy Government Spokesman Thomas Steg said on Monday that there is no official tank demand from Turkey, and the government has no intention to change arms export rules

Turkey has around 3,500 tanks, many of them need to be modernised from a technological point of view, especially in regard to electronic warfare. Some of these cannot be modernised and they are being replaced.

Around 110 Leopard 1A1A1 are thought to have been supplied to the Turkish Army under the German government’s "Armament Aid" programme. Germany has a Turkish population of more than two million and thus has special links to Ankara.