Chancellor Angela Merkel has again called on Turkey to end the military offensive in northern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia. It brings "recognizably a great deal of human suffering" and, with a view to the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS), leads to new insecurity, Merkel said.
Merkel welcomed the sharp condemnation of the offensive by all 28 EU countries at the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg. "I am also pleased that there was a unity," she said. The foreign ministers of the EU states, however, had not reached an agreement on an arms embargo or sanctions threats.
The Chancellor emphasized that the issue must also be discussed in NATO, to which Turkey belongs. However, Merkel did not comment on possible consequences within the Alliance.
Erdogan assures Turkey will not allow IS fighters to flee from northern Syria
Merkel telephoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for about an hour a few days ago. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said about the conversation, one sees the "legitimate security interests", but these are "no justification" for such a military operation.
Germany has so far partially stopped arms exports to Turkey as a sanction. No deliveries of weapons will now be approved that can be used in the conflict. Other armaments may continue to be exported.
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A resurgence of the IS is considered in view of the Turkish offensive as a serious threat. A few days ago there were reports that almost 800 IS supporters fled with their children from Kurdish custody.
In a guest post for the Wall Street Journal, Erdogan asserted that Turkey will not allow IS fighters to flee northern Syria. "We will ensure that no fighter of the IS can leave the northeast of Syria," he wrote.
The reports of the escaped IS supporters rejected Turkey as a "disinformation campaign" and accused the YPG of releasing IS fighters to spread chaos.