§ Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ What inquiry they will conduct into the assertion by the former head of weapons procurement, General Donald Iles, reported in the Observer of 19th January 1997, that arms sold by the United Kingdom to Turkey had been deployed in northern Cyprus; whether the Cabinet Minister to whom this disclosure was made reported it to the Cabinet; and what precautions they take, in considering the sales of any weapons to Turkey, to observe the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)s Principles Governing Arms Transfers, and in particular to avoid transfers which would be likely to:
- (1) be used for the violation or suppression of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
- (2) threaten the national security of other states;
- (3) contravene Turkey's international commitments, in particular in relation to decisions taken by the OSCE Council;
- (4) prolong or aggravate an existing armed conflict, taking into account the legitimate requirement for self-defence;
- (5) endanger peace, introduce destabilising military capabilities into a region, or otherwise contribute to regional instability;
- (6) be used for the purpose of repression; or
- (7) be used other than for the legitimate defence and security needs of the recipient country.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyWe have no evidence, nor reason to believe, that arms sold by the UK to Turkey are, or have been, deployed in northern Cyprus. We are committed to a responsible policy of defence sales and consider all applications for the export of defence equipment on a case by case basis in the light of established criteria, including the OSCE's principles governing conventional arms transfers. We do not permit the export of equipment which is likely to contravene these principles or the other international guidelines to which we adhere.