Turkey slams U.S., Germany on "covert embargo" of defense supply
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E-mail Xinhua, September 20, 2017
ANKARA, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli on Tuesday slammed U.S. and German firms' "covert embargo" on Ankara by not supplying spare parts of defense products, local media reported.
Canikli said, quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency, many firms from the United States and Germany do not give or delay delivering spare parts needed in the defense products.
The defense minister added that the "covert embargo" was imposed on his country despite that Turkey pays in cash, while the firms "are very generous to terrorist organizations," Canikli said, referring to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
On Monday, the U.S. State Department announced to withdraw the planned arms sale worth 1.2 million U.S. dollars, which would equip security personnel of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The decision came after violence erupted between Erdogan's security personnel and PKK supporters outside the White House during his visit in May.
A grand jury on Aug. 29 indicted 19 people, 15 of them Turkish security officials, were linked to the incident in Washington.
Turkey considers the PYD to be the Syrian affiliates of the PKK, which is a terrorist organization listed by Turkey, the United States, and the EU.
Ankara repeatedly accused the United States of supporting the PKK and the PYD, its ally on the ground in combating Islamic State in Syria. Enditem
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