Turkish Foreign Ministry says no military shipments from Turkey to Syria

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has dismissed speculation that some Turkish companies are selling weapons materials to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and that Turkish officials are “turning a blind eye” to the practice, Today’s Zaman reported.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a Turkish diplomat on Tuesday deemed such claims “absurd and baseless,” citing Turkey’s strong stance against the current regime in Syria and tight border-controls due to a trade embargo on the country.

On Monday, Britain’s Times reported, with information from intelligence sources, that Syria is obtaining material from Turkey to use in its weapons industry. One Middle Eastern intelligence source, the daily claimed, said the Turkish government does not openly encourage the trade between Turkey and Syria; however, some officials are turning a blind eye to it.

According to the report, three Turkish companies are providing materials and equipment to a Syrian government research institute that develops vehicle armor and ammunition for the Syrian police and army. The institute, Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), is under US and EU sanctions. The daily also reported that the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) is providing research assistance to the SSRC.

TÜBİTAK claimed on Tuesday in a written statement that a memorandum of cooperation in 2008 with SSRC has not yet been abolished, but no cooperation took place. SSRC has been subjected to US sanctions since 2005 for its links to Iran and North Korea and for providing arms to the militant Shiite group Hezbollah. The EU also blacklisted the institute in December because of its links with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.

In January, Turkey intercepted four Iranian trucks carrying raw materials used in the making of ballistic missiles. In September, Turkey announced it would increase inspections of cross-border traffic in order to block arms deliveries to Syria, a move that was immediately met by the Syrian regime’s suspension of a free-trade agreement between Turkey and Syria dating back to 2006. While Turkey is abiding by UN sanctions, it has also imposed its own sanctions on the Assad regime, including an economic and arms embargo.

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