Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

REVUE DE PRESSE~PRESS REVIEW~BERHEVOKAÇAPÊ~RIVISTA STAMPA~DENTRO DE LA PRENSA~BASINOZETi
MKE boosts machine gun exports to
Norway despite Oslo's armsembargo
By Ümit Enginsoy I T~rkish Daily News
ANKARA- Turkey's state-owned Machinery and Chemicals
Company (MKE) has boosted sales of machine guns to Norway
while at the same time Oslo continues an embargo on arms sales to
Ankara, a senior MKE official said on Tuesday.
"Our sales of MG-3 type machine guns to Norway are going very
well. They have boughf 5,250 pieces and now are ordering another
I,OOOt the official told the Turkish Daily News.
"The arms embargo Norway recently imposed against Turkey has
not affected our sales. In fact, we have received no orders from the
related Turkish authorities to stop the sales," the official added.
To protest an incursion by the Turkish Army into northern Iraq to
destroy bases of separatist Kurds, Norway said in late March that it
would no longer sell weapons and military equi~ment to Turkey.
Ankara retaliated by barnng Norwegian comparues from entering
Turkey's future arms deals. .
MKE manufactures a wide range of arms from artillery piêces and
mortars, to machine guns, infantry rifles and ammunition - mainly
for the Turkish Army. .
But in recent years it has increased exports of mainly machine
guns and ammunition to several countries throughout the world.
MKE's exports exceeded $15 million in 1994, and the company official
saidthis year' s target was to export arms and military equipment
Turkish Daily News
WEDNESDAY. MA Y 24. 1995
worth $20 million.
. The original deal with Norway was worth $13 million, covering a
four-year production period for 5,250 machine guns. But the new
order for another 1,000 pieces raises the deal's overallcast
The official said Norway' s selection of the Turkish
MG-3s for its armywas a very significantsuccess for
MKE, displaying the high quality of the company's
products.. . . .
. "Norwegian military officials have told us that they
have .been impressed by the performance of our MG-
3s," he said. Arms exports by Turkish companies
require permissions from the Office of the Chief of
General Staff, the Defense. Ministry and the Foreign
Ministry. .
Ankara retaliates against S. African embargo
.By Nazlan Ertanl Turkish Daily News
ANKARA- Turkey announced that it has placed
South Africa on a "red list" of arms suppliers ID
respon~e to .the decision by this postapai1held
Afncan country last week to
suspendarms sales to Turkey ..
. '1n response to this country's military .
embargo, we now. place South Africa on our
red list of arms suppliers," a senior Turkish .
diplomat told the Turkish Daily News. He said
that.nO further economic and diplomatic retaliation
was being considered for the time being. . .
The "red list" is a Foreign Ministry euphemism meaning thatthe
country in question is "black listed" as an arms supplier. A red-Iis!~.d
coun.try is no,t allowed to enter arms tenders in Turkey not-,eli~'.ty
. rriilitary equipment.to Turkey. According to the
senior official, the decision was conveyed to
South Africa last week both in Pretoria
and Ankara.
Although the arms trade between
Turkey an(l South Africa is negligible,
Turk~y has co~sidered this country
as a potentJaIsupplier and has sounded
out some South Afncan arms suppliers on
" the sale of R.eQivaikhèlicop.ters ana c1ust~r
bombs. WhIle Ankara waIted for a decI-
. . sion, South Africa, whIch has been assessing
its overallarms sales to other countries, informed Turkey last
88