Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Tuesday that several German and American companies are denying or delaying parts Turkey uses in its defense industry by imposing hidden “sanctions.”
According to the CNN Türk website, Canikli criticized Germany and the US during a program in Ankara on Tuesday for providing arms to groups such as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia in northern Syria, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey due to its ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“We don’t want grants. We pay their money in advance [for parts used in the defense industry]. However, they are more generous and openhanded to terrorist groups. Thank God, we are sustaining and will be able to sustain [the Turkish defense industry] with our own resources and local products,” he said.
Ankara has been criticizing Washington for providing arms to the YPG militia in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) despite the fact that Turkey has continuously warned that some arms were being used against Turkey by the PKK.
Turkey also accused Berlin of supporting PKK activities in Germany.