Afrin in Syria was, until January 10, a safe haven for minorities, including Sunni, Shia and Turkmen refugees fleeing the violence of the Syrian Civil War. Now it is under artillery bombardment and air attacks by the Turkish military. Shelling has caused hundreds of casualties and thousands of internally displaced people.
The Defence & Security Organisation, tax-payer-funded sales reps for the private arms sector, summed up the U.K.'s position in a public memo: "With increasing budgets and the second-largest army in Nato, there are opportunities for UK industry." Soon after this memo it named Turkey as a "priority market."
Since Erdogan strengthened his grip, the U.K. has licensed to Turkey £150m (€171m) in arms, principally aircraft, helicopters, drones, grenades, small arms and ammunition. Theresa May also signed a £100m deal for additional U.K. aircraft to be provided by BAE Systems and TAI, which has been awarded with an Open General Export Licence to ease the flow of weapons between the U.K. and Turkey. This strategy constitutes playing fast and loose with U.K. arms export law to cash in on the rising tide of nationalism and violence in the Middle East.
It now appears that now the Kurds have served their purpose in degrading ISIS
Arming Turkey presents the same problems as arming Saudi Arabia. Both are internally repressive, both institutionally use torture and both have on occasion exercised violent collective punishment against minorities. They also both support al-Qaeda in Syria, a designated terrorist organisation.
Repression and war is big business.
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