Turkish airlines exec on arms shipped to Islamists in Nigeria: ‘I feel sinful’

Special to WorldTribune.com

ANKARA — Turkey was said to have been arming groups in Nigeria.

An airline executive said the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan was arming factions in the war in Nigeria.

n_63791_4The executive, Mehmet Karatas, said Ankara transferred the weapons to Nigeria via the state-owned Turkish Airlines.

“I do not know whether these [weapons] will kill Muslims or Christians,” Karatas said. “I feel sinful.”

The disclosure came in a tape of a telephone conversation between Karatas, an executive at Turkish Airlines, and an adviser to Erdogan. The tape, posted on YouTube on March 18, marked the first link between Turkey and the war in Nigeria.

Over the last year, several Arab countries have reported Turkish weapons smuggling to Islamist insurgency groups.

The tape, the latest in a series of leaked recordings, did not specify
the Turkish weapons allegedly shipped to Nigeria. Erdogan, who faces
municipal elections on March 30, has not confirmed the contents of the tape.

Egypt and Yemen said they have urged Ankara to increase monitoring of ships that depart from Turkish ports.

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