Courcy’s Intelligence Brief

*** Turkey’s Islamic arms sales.  It is noteworthy that eight out of 10 top countries to which Turkey exports weapons are Muslim countries at a time when Turkey’s total annual defence sales have reached $1bn.  According to the Union of Turkish Defence Exporters, all the top 10 buyers are Islamic countries except for the US and Italy.  The Islamic nations in the list are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Lebanon.  The prospective buyers list can be extended to include Indonesia, Malaysia, and Qatar.

A Turkish official says: “Being Muslim makes a difference.  The Muslim buyers see that you are Muslim and take up a better attitude.  In the coming years we expect better prospects to sell our products.”

*** Turkey calls for liberation of Jerusalem.  Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay attended the International Conference on the Defence of Jerusalem in Doha on 26 February.

He said: “Without the liberation of Jerusalem, no real peace and stability can be achieved in the Middle East or farther afield.”  He called Jerusalem “a captive city in the hands of Israel” and said that “Turkey will not allow...Israel’s oppressive attempt...at changing Jerusalem’s historic fabric by intimidating Palestinians.”

*** China keeps warning its neighbours.  During the past week China has complained to Japan about its marine research activities in the East China Sea and to the Philippines about its plans to explore for oil and gas in the Spratly (Nansha) Islands.  China told the Philippines: “It is unlawful for any country or company to explore oil and gas in seas under Chinese jurisdiction without the permission of the Chinese government.”

China has also been involved in a row with India over the visit of India’s Defence Minister AK Antony to the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.  Antony visited the state for its silver jubilee statehood celebrations on 25 February.  China responded by saying that India should not take any actions that could “complicate” the border issue.  The Chinese foreign ministry asked India “to work with China to maintain peace and stability in the border areas”.

India responded through External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, who said: “All seven states in north-eastern parts of India are part and parcel of India, and China has no rights to make adverse remarks on Antony’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh.”

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and regularly complains about high-level visits by Indian officials to the region.