Merkel Rules Out Arming Terrorist PKK While Sending Arms To KRG

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out sending arms to the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), following Germany's decision to arm the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq.

During an interview with the German TV station ARD on Sunday, Merkel clarified Germany's decision to send arms to the KRG.

Germany last week announced that it would arm KRG forces fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the “Islamic State.”

Merkel admitted that sending arms to the KRG is a significant, if risky step, saying that the German government had come to this decision after much consideration. She also pointed out that sending arms to the KRG from Germany will require the approval of the central government in Baghdad.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper reported on Sunday that some German lawmakers are considering arming the PKK as well as the KRG to fight against ISIL. However, Merkel dismissed speculation that the PKK will be on the receiving end of German arms, recalling that the PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.

In principle, the German government has a policy of not sending arms to conflict areas but the ISIL threat has forced Germany to change this decision, signaling Germany's willingness to assert a more muscular foreign policy. This is a risky decision for Merkel, given that 63 percent of Germans are against arming the Kurds in Iraq, according to recent polls. Merkel has said that ISIL is perpetrating genocide and needs to be stopped.

If Germany is asked to provide arms to be used against ISIL, they cannot say “no” to sending those weapons and munitions, Merkel said, adding that ISIL is attacking anyone who thinks differently from it, whether Christian or Muslim. She further said that the Kurdish military forces, along with the support of the US, are the actors who are able to stop the advance of ISIL. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Seinmeier recently spoke with officials from Baghdad and Arbil about possible support for the KRG from Germany.

Merkel has been criticized by opposition parties in Germany over the possibility of these arms ending up in the wrong hands. Admitting that it is possible, Merkel said that the German government has considered this problem and even though it cannot guarantee that the arms will not go to the wrong people, she said that the reasons for acting were overwhelming. The German Bundestag's lower house will debate the issue on Sept. 1, but there is no need for a vote. The government will decide this week on what weapons the country will send.

Merkel also ruled out sending combat troops to Iraq under any circumstances and further stated that Germany has no plans to send troops for training or similar activities.

Eavesdropping on Turkey

The chancellor once again refused to comment on the issue of whether Germany spies on Turkey but refrained from denying the claims.

German magazine Der Spiegel reported last weekend that the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has been spying on Turkey since 2009. Merkel has since said that in the light of increased threats, Germany's need for the work of intelligence organizations will continue. She added that she expects everyone to understand this need. It is not clear whether her comment means that Germany will continue its eavesdropping on Turkey or not, given the threat of ISIL and the alleged close ties between Turkey and ISIL.

While German officials have chosen to remain silent about the recent allegations of spying, German magazine Focus claimed that Germany has been eavesdropping on Turkey since 1976.

Focus reported on Saturday that the BND has been spying on Turkey for most of the last four decades. According to the report, the German government under former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt expressly approved the step. The magazine also reported that a German government working group gave the current mandate to the BND to monitor Turkish political and state institutions, which includes the Prime Minister's Office, the Defense Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the Economy Ministry. German government officials have declined to comment on the report.

German officials have not denied the allegations and have chosen to remain silent, while Turkey awaits a “comprehensive and satisfactory” explanation of the eavesdropping scandal that it called “worrisome.” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu also characterized the allegations as “unacceptable” and the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to Turkey for an explanation.

However, following the Der Spiegel report, Interior Minister Efkan Ala told the press that Germany's eavesdropping on Turkey is “normal.” He recalled similar reports of the US eavesdropping on Germany and said that such spying often goes on until it becomes known publicly.

Conservative German lawmaker Hans-Peter Uhl said that there were “good reasons” for the BND to spy on Turkey, such as human trafficking, drugs and terrorism, according to Focus magazine.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)