SHAMELESS MAY COSIES UP TO RULER OF TURKEY
THERESA May has signed a massive deal to build fighter jets for Turkey – despite its awful human rights record.
In Ankara, Mrs May yesterday unveiled a “pathway” deal that could see Britain help build hundreds of fighter jets for autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The initial deal is worth more than £100million but Downing Street said it could lead to multi-billion pound contracts as Britain becomes Turkey’s partner for military equipment.
The agreement comes despite Mr Erdogan’s brutal suppression of free speech and human rights after last summer’s failed coup against him.
Hundreds of journalists have been jailed and thousands of judges, teachers and academics purged from their jobs.
But Mrs May’s spokeswoman claimed trying to improve human rights in Turkey is a “separate issue” from bolstering its powerful military forces.
Unsavoury
“Turkey is an important Nato partner, so our co-operation on security and defence is in line with that,” she said.
“The PM thinks it’s important to engage with Turkey.”
Yesterday’s deal will see BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace Industries establish a partnership for development of the Turkish Fighter Programme.
A source said the wider programme could see Britain win contracts to supply engines, weapons, radar and sensors.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron fumed: “As Mrs May seeks trade deals with ever more unsavoury leaders, she ignores the point that the most successful countries around the world respect human rights.”
A worried Mrs May also tried to lecture Mr Erdogan on human rights yesterday.
Standing alongside him at a press conference, she said: “I’m proud that the UK stood with you on July 15 last year in defence of democracy.
“Now it is important that Turkey sustains that democracy by maintaining the rule of law and upholding i ts i nternational human rights obligations as the government has undertaken to do.”