Every two years, the Excel Centre at London Docklands hosts the world’s
biggest arms fair, showcasing military and surveillance equipment and
technology for air, land, sea and cyberspace. Many of the world’s most
oppressive regimes, including Turkey, go there to make deals which
ultimately cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
Turkey was the sole “international partner” of DSEI 2015, which took place
in September of that year, while Kurdish civilians were being massacred in
cities like Cizre. During the event, weapons maker Roketsan, which is part
of the Turkish Armed Forces, signed a contract with Lockheed Martin, the
largest arms company in the world, to develop a new F-35 fighter jet
missile for the United States armed forces. Since then, Turkey has gone
into partnership with BAE Systems to develop a new generation of fighter
jets. Turkish-owned arms company Nurol has also gone into partnership
with BAE Systems – the third largest arms company in the world – on an
aerospace programme. After its “success” at DSEI 2015, Turkey has asked
for its space at the event to be expanded by 200 square metres for 2017.
read more at
http://kurdishquestion.com/article/3971-turkey-will-buy-and-sell-weapons-in-london-this-september
by Sara Woods of Shoal Collective, a cooperative of independent writers
and researchers, writing for social justice and a world beyond capitalism.
The Anarchist Action Network is mobilising to oppose DSEI 2017 and there are the following upcoming meetings for people interested to get involved:
UPDATE – All meetings have now occurred, see you in London for the week of action!