Turkish defense exports to Germany increase 17 pct

By Goksel Yildirim

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish exports to Germany in the defense and aviation industry went up by 17 percent in the eight months of 2017 compared to the same term last year, according to figures released by the Turkish Exporters Assembly on Thursday.

Last year for the same term $119 million exports in the defense and aviation sector were made to Germany.

Turkish defense and aviation firms have made $1.066 billion exports worldwide in 2017, a slight increase from last year’s $1.064 billion.

In 2017, the largest export of $443.9 million was made with the U.S. Germany came second with exports valuing to $140.2 million. India was in third spot with $66.2 million.

Defense analyst Arda Mevlutoglu told Anadolu Agency on Thursday that Turkey, until very recently, had been an important market for German aviation and defense firms.

He added Germany will suffer if it loses the Turkish market to other countries.

Tensions between Turkey and some EU countries, particularly Germany, have risen in recent months.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier this week said she would push other EU countries to review Turkey’s accession process at a European Council meeting scheduled for October.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Mehmet Simsek said on Tuesday that Turkey cannot be expelled from the Customs Union even if Germany sought it.

In mid-August, in an interview with bloggers ahead of the Sept. 24 German elections, Merkel signaled that due to recent political tensions, the EU would not enter into talks with Ankara on modernizing the Customs Union.

Merkel’s remarks came as opposition parties upped pressure on the German government, seeking harsher tones against Turkey, particularly due to the recent arrests in Turkey of around 10 German citizens, including a reporter and a human rights activist, for alleged support of terrorist groups.