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Investigation under way as Yemen seizes arms shipped from Turkey
"If weapons were carried on the ship and this was not detected, it would mean a flaw [in customs security]," Yazıcı told reporters when asked about the seized cargo. Yemeni authorities announced on Saturday that they have seized boxes of arms in the southern Yemeni city of Aden which originated in Turkey.
Officials seized Turkish-made pistols found in biscuit boxes inside a container that came from Turkey, according to the website of the Yemeni Defense Ministry. News reports in the Turkish media said there were 3,000 pistols on the ship.
The website said an investigation has been launched into the discovery of weapons that it said were "destined to harm the security and stability of Yemen.” However, no further details were given as to the sender and the intended recipient of the weapons.
Yazıcı said the ship was subject to customs control at Turkey's Mersin port and that the customs authorities were told that the ship's cargo consisted of biscuits and other food items. "That's the statement [given to the customs authorities]," he said, adding that it will be clear if the customs authorities are to blame for any oversight once the investigation is completed. Asked if this could mean there was a flaw in the customs procedure, Yazıcı said one cannot say there is no flaw if the ship was really carrying weapons.
Officials at the Foreign Ministry said the Yemeni authorities have not yet conveyed official information to Ankara regarding the reported arms shipment from Turkey. "We will look into the case once we have an official report from Yemen," an official said. The official emphasized that the cargo in question is not owned by a state institution, but by a private company.
There was a similar incident in March 2011 when the customs authority of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seized arms bound for Yemen from Turkey by sea. It remains unclear who ordered the shipment. There were speculations at the time that the guns' intended recipients were Shiite tribesmen, who have been in a struggle against the government for the last six years, or middlemen who planned to sell them individually.
Yemen has been scene of frequent al-Qaeda attacks amid political unrest that led to the resignation of the country's long-time ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011. Yemeni authorities say the fight against al-Qaeda will continue until the group lays down arms.
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