Syria war: UK suspends arms licenses to Turkey amid international outcry over offensive against Kurds
The UK government will suspend some arms export licenses to Turkey amid an international outcry over its offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria.
A spokesman for prime minister Boris Johnson said there would be “no further arms export licenses to Turkey for items which could be used for military operations in Syria” while a review of existing licenses took place.
The UK now joins Italy, France, Germany and a number of other countries in halting weapons exports to Ankara in response to a widely criticised offensive that has killed dozens of civilians and displaced more than 250,000 people.
The decision comes a day after European Union member states pledged to suspend weapons exports, but stopped short of a formal embargo.
US president Donald Trump also announced sanctions against three top Turkish officials on Monday, and halted negotiations on a $100 billion (£80bn) trade deal.
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