US and Europe mull ways to bring Turkey into line

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Sept. 11 that his government has put all major arms exports to Turkey on hold due to the deteriorating human rights situation in the country and the escalating tension between the two NATO allies. Chancellor Angela Merkel later said this does not mean a total ban on exports.

German military cooperation with Turkey involves a number of important items, including main battle tanks, joint frigate and submarine production, and automatic rifles for the security forces. 

Gabriel's statement shows how far the tension has risen as Germany heads for elections on Sept. 24. The restriction on arms exports is seemingly part of German efforts to pressure Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan to ease the tough measures of the state of emergency declared after the July 15, 2016 military coup attempt - including the release of German citizens arrested in Turkey on terrorism and espionage accusations. 

On the other hand, Turkey has demanded the extradition of former Turkish military officers seeking political asylum from Germany after the failed coup attempt. Ankara alleges that these officers have links to the illegal network of Fethullah Gülen, the U.S.-based Islamist preacher accused of masterminding the coup attempt. 

Amid these contrasting demands, both the German government and the Turkish government say they cannot intervene in the rulings of their independent courts.

There is no guarantee that military pressure will convince Erdoğan and the Turkish government to change its attitude. What's more, such restrictions may weaken the defense capacities of both Turkey and NATO, and their capacity to fight the terrorism of the outlawed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

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