British Theresa May arms Turkish dictator Erdogan

Posted on February 17, 2017 by petrel41

This video from Britain says about itself:

Brutal Britain is second biggest arm dealer in the world

19 September 2016

The UK government has become the world’s second biggest arms dealer, with the bulk of its weapons fuelling deadly conflicts in the Middle East.
According to latest data by the UK Trade and Investment, a government body that promotes British exports overseas, over the last 10 years the UK’s average arms sales exceeds that of Russia, China, or France and is second only to the United States.

According to a joint analysis by The Independent and Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT), between 2010-2015, the British government has sold £10 billion in arms licenses to at least 39 of the 51 countries that have been ranked “not free” on the US-based [right-wing] Freedom House’s “Freedom in the world” report.

London has gone a step further and sold £7.9 billion worth of arms deals with 22 of the 30 countries that have been blacklisted on the UK government’s own human rights watch list.

Interestingly, about two-thirds of the exports over the five-year period were destined to the Middle East, where many countries have been ravaged by conflicts resulting from Western intervention. “The UK is one of the world’s most successful defense exporters, averaging second place in the global rankings on a rolling ten-year basis, making it Europe’s leading defense exporter in the period,” the government organisation boasted in its report.

The Foreign Office maintains a “human rights priority countries” list which includes countries that it deems as having “the worst, or greatest number of, human rights violations.” Saudi Arabia, Israel and Bahrain were some of the customers on the controversial government list. According to the Independent, Saudis have received British bombs, missiles, and fighter jets, which it has been using in its military aggression against Yemen, which has killed about 10,000 people since it began in March 2015.

Last year alone, London approved the sale of more than £3 billion worth of weapons to the Riyadh regime. …

Bahrain, another repressive Arab monarchy, has also received machine guns from the UK, along with special police training that it has actively been using to curb a years-long popular uprising against the ruling Al Khalifa family. Andrew Smith of CAAT said “These terrible figures expose the hypocrisy at the heart of UK foreign policy. These regimes aren’t just buying weapons, they’re also buying political support and legitimacy. How likely is the UK to act against human rights violations in these countries when it is also profiting from them.”

By Steve Sweeney in Britain:

May accused of propping up Erdogan with arms sales

Friday 17th February 2017

LEADING trade unionists have demanded that Theresa May stop selling arms to Turkey, accusing her of propping up one of the world’s most oppressive regimes.

The call was made at an emergency press conference on Wednesday night, organised by Solidarity with the People of Turkey (Spot), after a new decree issued under the state of emergency last week led to a further 300 academics being removed from their posts.

Shocking statistics reveal the scale of repression in Turkey, where over 200,000 public-sector workers have been sacked, 5,000 academics ousted from their jobs and nearly 200,000 people arrested.

There are also 151 journalists currently in jail, a third of the world’s total.

“Democracy is on a knife edge in Turkey,” said Spot spokesman Cagdas Canbolat, adding that “people feel the need to hide their opinions and beliefs.”

He warned that if radical changes to the Turkish constitution are approved in a referendum in April, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will gain “the power to appoint ministers himself, dismiss the parliament and determine the judiciary.”

Mr Canbolat also accused the Prime Minister of bolstering Mr Erdogan’s authoritarian rule.

He said: “May is making deals to sell jet aircraft to one of the world’s most repressive regimes, effectively condoning the undemocratic pressure and brutal attacks on academics and other groups in Turkey.”

Day-Mer Turkish and Kursish community centre secretary Oktay Sahbaz stressed: “It is important to show public-sector workers in Turkey that they are not alone.

“These are crucial times in the country and Turkish people need support and solidarity from our brothers and sisters.”

NUT vice-president Louise Regan highlighted the need to raise awareness of the situation, urging the meeting to “go away and tell people what is happening.”

TUC international secretary Owen Tudor pledged support, saying the “attacks on democracy and freedom of speech” in the country were a “testament to the rise of those calling for a ‘New Turkey’.”

He warned there was “a global struggle against anti-democratic forces attempting to split the working class.”

RMT assistant general secretary Steve Hedley slammed Ms May for her “dictators tour” following her recent meetings with US President Donald Trump, Mr Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He demanded that the British government stop selling arms to brutal regimes, including Turkey’s, which will use the weapons to oppress their own people.