All parties in the Austrian Parliament unanimously voted to accept the implementation of an arms embargo on Turkey. Green Party parliamentarian Berivan Aslan spoke to ANF and said that the European Union should not only be concerned but also take concrete steps.

‘PEOPLE ARE KILLED WITH THE ARMS YOU ARE SENDING’

Regarding the reasoning for the proposal on implementing an arms embargo on Turkey, Aslan said that both Turkey was being pressured politically and the message of ‘Look, people are killed with the arms you are sending. We do not only express concern but take concrete steps’ was being given to the countries that sell Turkey arms. Aslan said that the proposal, which was prepared along with the EU’s request of freezing the negotiations with Turkey last week, was signed during a press statement then.

Aslan recalled that Austrian parliaments signed the proposal, and emphasized the need for taking concrete steps as opposed to expressing concern. In the proposal, the arrests of HDP parliamentarians and DBP co-mayors, and human rights violations were highlighted, and parliamentarians called upon other countries to impose arms embargo on Turkey.

Steyr rifles are among the arms Austria sells to Turkey, and were used by special operations units during the self-rule resistance in North Kurdistan.