Germany blocks tech exports to Turkey

Special to WorldTribune.com

LONDON — Germany has decided to restrict security exports to Turkey.

The German government announced restrictions on surveillance technology to Ankara amid reports of civil and human rights abuses.

German Deputy Prime Minister Sigmar Gabriel

German Deputy Prime Minister Sigmar Gabriel

Officials said Turkey was blocking access to the Internet and social media in an effort to block the opposition.

“Countries who want to defend Internet freedom cannot provide technology
to those regimes that monitor Internet users and therefore breach
fundamental human rights,” German Deputy Prime Minister Sigmar Gabriel said.

In a briefing on May 20, Gabriel said German reconnaissance software
would not be supplied to Turkey and other countries deemed to violate human
rights. He cited Russia as also coming under export restrictions by Berlin.

Germany has been criticized for supplying spy technology to countries
that used this against civilians. Human rights groups said one German client
for this technology was Bahrain, which has been fighting a Shi’ite revolt
since 2011.

Turkey was said to have intensified its search for surveillance systems.
Officials cited the expansion of Turkey’s intelligence community, which was
used to track political opponents of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan.

Officials said the restrictions on Turkey would be reviewed. They said
surveillance exports would be examined on a case-by-case basis.

“We are calling on EU members to agree on standards for surveillance
technology exports,” Gabriel said.

Source Article from http://www.worldtribune.com/2014/05/30/germany-retricts-tech-exports-turkey-amid-erdogans-crackdown-social-media/

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