Germany sent €250.4 million ($277 million) worth of weapons to Turkey in the first eight months of 2019, according to information cited by German press agency dpa.

That's already higher than any annual amount since 2005 — even without including the last four months of the year.

The data seen by dpa was released by the German Economy Ministry at the request of the opposition Left party.

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Watch video 02:05 Share Recap: Turkey's Syria offensive Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3RQQ2 Recap: Turkey's incursion into Syria

No. 1 importer of German arms

Weapons exports to Ankara have been thrown under the spotlight since Turkish forces invaded northern Syria last week.

The European Union on Monday passed a resolution to limit arms sales to Turkey, but stopped short of imposing a weapons embargo. Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged the NATO ally to end its operation in Syria, and said Germany will not deliver any more weapons to Turkey "under the current conditions."

Last year, Turkey was the No. 1 importer of German weapons by far, with contracts amounting to €242.8 million. Despite a halt in some deliveries, it is on track to claim that title again in 2019.

According to the Economy Ministry, the weapons sales were "exclusively merchandise for the maritime sector," with most of the orders likely relating to material for six Type 214 submarines being built in cooperation with the German firm Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

The German government approved the sale of parts for the submarines in 2009.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? US: Troop pullback Over the past years, US troops have supported Kurdish fighters as they battled radical "Islamic State" (IS) militants to take back control of large areas of northern Syria. In what was seen as a surprising turnaround, US President Donald Trump announced in early October that he was withdrawing US troops from the region's border with Turkey. This pullback left a vacuum for others to act and react.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? Turkey: Anti-Kurdish offensive Trump's troop withdrawal was a de-facto go-ahead for Turkey to launch an offensive into northeast Syria. The region is home to a largely autonomous Kurdish population and Kurdish militants known as the YPG, who are tied to an outlawed Kurdish party in Turkey. Turkey, who has faced a Kurdish insurgency, sees the Syrian Kurds as a threat to its security, hence the military action.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? Kurdish YPG: Fighting Turkish forces The YPG was one of the US' main allies in the fight to drive out IS from north Syria, but since October it has been fighting the Turkish forces that crossed into Syria. The YPG lacks strong air capabilities and defenses, putting it at a decided disadvantage in comparison to the Turkish army.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? SDF: Betrayed by the US The YPG is the largest component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which also includes Arab and Christian militias. The SDF, which fought IS, controls northeastern Syria and feels betrayed by the US pullback. It is now fighting Turkish troops and their allies. It has warned that the Turkish offensive could distract from making sure IS fighters do not renew their strength in Syria.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? Syrian government army: Deal made The relationship between Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops and the SDF is a tricky one that shifts between cooperation, live-and-let-live and skirmishes, depending on the current situation. After Turkey launched its offensive, the Kurds struck a deal with the government that saw Syrian troops mobilized to fight the Turkish forces, allowing them to enter a region they had ceded to the SDF.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? Russia: Stepping up, stepping in Russia has consistently backed the government of Syrian President Assad (L, with Putin in 2018) and assisted its forces. After US troops pulled out of the Kurdish areas, Russia moved its troops in to act as a buffer for Syrian government forces advancing towards the Turkish army. Moscow wants Syria to remain united and has accused the US of creating parallel structures in the Kurdish region.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? SNA: Turkey's Syrian allies Turkey also has allies among Syrian fighters. The Syrian National Army (SNA), also known as the Free Syrian Army, is a Syrian rebel group that has fought against the SDF and Assad's government. Backed by Turkey, SNA fighters took part in previous Turkish offensives against Kurdish militias inside Syria. Currently, thousands of SNA fighters are fighting the YPG alongside Turkish forces.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? IS: A renewed role? One possible future actor is IS. While it was essentially defeated in March 2019, tens of thousands of its fighters and their families remain in prisons or guarded camps in the Kurdish area of the country. Nearly a thousand alone have already escaped from a camp that was caught in the fighting between Kurdish militias and Turkish forces. Should the situation grow more unstable, IS could regroup. Author: Uta Steinwehr, Cristina Burack



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For the first time in three years, there has also been an increase in the number of new export permits issued by Berlin for Turkey. By October 9, the government had approved shipments valued at €28.5 million, already more than double the €12.9 million cleared over the course of 2018.

There was also a significant jump in individual permits from 58 in 2018 to 182 in the first nine months of 2019.

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