Minister: Turkey seized huge amount of Syria-bound weapons

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hundreds of rifles, shotguns and bullets that were to be sent from Turkey to violence-plagued Syria have been seized over the last month by Turkish security forces, Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazıcı said, according to Hurriyet Daily News.

Yazıcı’s statements came in response to national and international criticism on Turkey’s “reluctance” to control the arms flow to Syria and the accusation that Turkey is responsible for supplying arms to Syrian rebels.

Some 110 air guns, 51 shotguns, 86 rifle scopes, 86 rifle clips, 104 gun clips and 50,375 bullets were seized in five operations conducted in the last week of January, Yazıcı said.

He said Turkey was controlling all of 10 border gates to stop illegal arms-trafficking in the region and had been taking necessary measures to protect Turkish citizens’ lives and provide humanitarian help to the Syrian people, “who are under attack from the Bashar al-Assad regime.”