Germany puts arms deals with Turkey on hold after rights row

Berlin - 20 July 2017: Germany is putting arms projects on Thursday with Turkey on hold as tensions between the NATO allies escalate, mass-selling daily Bild reported, citing government sources.

The move applied to planned arms projects as well as those already running, Bild reported. As a fellow NATO member, the supply of arms to Turkey has previously been largely unproblematic for Germany.

The German government declined to comment on the report.

Germany told its citizens on Thursday to exercise caution if travelling to Turkey and threatened measures that could hinder German investment there, in a sign of growing impatience with Ankara after the detention of rights activists Germany told its citizens on Thursday to exercise caution if travelling to Turkey and threatened measures that could hinder German investment there, in a sign of growing impatience with a NATO ally after the detention of rights activists.

The mass-selling daily Bild newspaper, citing government sources, also reported that Berlin was putting arms projects with Ankara on hold.

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel highlighted alarm at what Berlin sees as the growing unpredictability of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. "Everyone can be affected. The most absurd things are possible," he said in advice to travellers.

Gabriel broke off his holiday to deal with the crisis after Turkey arrested six human rights activists including German national Peter Steudtner on accusations of terrorism, the latest in a series of diplomatic rows.

Germany, Turkey's chief export partner, called the allegations absurd.

"We need our policies towards Turkey to go in a new direction...we can't continue as we have done," Gabriel told reporters in unusually direct language touching on sensitive commercial matters including corporate investment guarantees.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday accused Germany of harbouring terrorists, comments likely to ratchet up the disagreement between Berlin and Ankara after Turkey jailed some rights activists.

"As a country providing shelter to PKK and FETO terrorists in its own territory, statements by Germany are just double standards and unacceptable," Cavusoglu said on Twitter, referring to the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the network of U.S.-based cleric Ankara blames for last July's failed coup.