BRITAIN has suspended new arms deals with Turkey after assaults on Kurds in northern Syria.
No exports licences will be granted to the fellow Nato country for equipment that could be used in military operations.
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But ministers stopped short of following Italy, France and Germany in suspending all weapons sales to Turkey.
Boris Johnson’s move follows tough new sanctions imposed on Ankara by Donald Trump.
And it came amid increasing condemnation for Turkey for its attacks on Kurdish fighters and civilians as the conflict entered its seventh day following the US President’s sudden withdrawal of troops.
‘CAREFUL AND CONTINUAL REVIEW’
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told MPs yesterday that defence exports to Turkey would continue to be reviewed and that no new licences for weapons that might be used in the conflict would be granted.
But arms manufacturers will still be able to sell to the nation under existing licences, and the UK may still grant new licences for exports that it deems will not be used in the northern Syrian strikes.
Campaigners urged the UK to go further and impose an arms export embargo against Ankara.
Mr Raab told the House of Commons that “of course we will keep our defence exports to Turkey under very careful and continual review”.
‘RECKLESS AND COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE’
He rebuked Turkey for its “reckless” and “counter-productive” action, which he said risks playing into the hands of Russia and the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.
Amnesty International UK said it was the “right decision” but urged for stronger action.
Policy head Allan Hogarth said: “The Government must be clear that this will also apply to all existing licences.
“The UK has a responsibility to minimise the risk of UK weaponry contributing to violations of international humanitarian law.”
Andrew Smith, of the Campaign Against Arms Trade, said the Government had “clearly been shamed” into the move.
UK return hope for ‘British IS’ orphans
By John Lucas
THREE kids rescued in Syria when their family was killed after apparently travelling from the UK to fight for IS could be allowed back here.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says as long as there is “no security threat”, children saved from the fighting could return to Britain.
The BBC reported three orphaned siblings whose parents are believed to have left London to join IS and died in a battle are now with Save the Children.
The charity has called for them to be given “the best chance of recovery by bringing them to the UK before it’s too late”.
Its spokesman said they and 21 other unaccompanied children were being looked after following the escalation of hostilities.
“But the truth is that it should never have been arming and supporting President Erdogan and his authoritarian regime in the first place,” he continued.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began Turkey’s offensive on the Kurds after Mr Trump announced the withdrawal from the Middle Eastern nation that has endured eight years of conflict.
The US president has been accused of betraying the Kurds, who form part of the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces, and warned his move could lead to the resurgence of the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group.
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