Germany’s caretaker government has decided to put on hold any decision on upgrading German-made Leopard tanks in Turkey as requested by its NATO ally Ankara.
A government spokesman confirmed a report by Der Spiegel magazine that the country's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel from the center-left Social Democrats had agreed Berlin would not decide on the Turkish request before both blocs had sealed a new coalition deal.
"Concerning the current discussions about arms exports, the Federal Government is clear about the fact that Germany can not send arms in conflict areas and is not going to do so," Gabriel told Spiegel.
The debate has been fueled by a Turkish offensive in northern Syria in which Turkey has been using German-made Leopard 2 tanks, Reuters reported.
