German Parliament Vetoes Eurofighter Sale to Turkey: Report

The decision by Berlin’s caretaker government led by the Social Democrats and Greens, whose term is set to end on May 6, was first published last week by the German financial daily Handelsblatt.

The export veto stemmed from growing concerns in Berlin over Ankara’s commitment to democratic norms, the German newspaper said, citing local sources familiar with the matter.

İmamoğlu, a leading figure of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was arrested on March 23 on corruption charges — the same day his party declared him as its presidential candidate. While the Turkish government has firmly rejected claims of political motivation, some see the arrest as an attempt to remove a key rival.

The Eurofighter, jointly produced by Germany, the U.K., Italy and Spain, requires unanimous approval from all four countries for export.

Despite the multilateral framework, Turkey has been conducting negotiations with the U.K., which formally submitted an offer for the jets to Ankara in March. The talks with the other countries for approval have been carried out by London.

According to Turkish daily Milliyet, the British side has assured Ankara that the outgoing coalition took this veto decision to give a nod to their own voters through İmamoğlu and London will solve the issue with the new government.

In the wake of Germany’s decision, CHP leader Özgür Özel told Milliyet that while they oppose İmamoğlu’s pretrial detention, they cannot support Berlin’s move to block Turkey’s access to Eurofighters on that basis.

"Regardless of the reason, can we afford to oppose the sale of Eurofighters to our own country? We will do everything in our power to resolve this issue," said Özel, who maintains close dialogue with leaders of Germany’s Social Democratic Party.

“Of course, we are ready to intervene and contribute to a solution,” Özel said as reported by the daily.

However, Özel also warned that İmamoğlu’s continued detention could lead to broader repercussions.

“Even if we resolve this particular case, his imprisonment might create new problems on the international stage. We are not against a fair trial — we are against pretrial detention.”

He added that the CHP has already proposed that all court proceedings be broadcast live on public television to ensure full transparency and public access to evidence.

Source: HDN