we have no information on the use of Leopard tanks,"

German politicians have widely opposed plans to provide Turkey with tank modernization upgrades after Leopard 2 combat vehicles were spotted taking part in the military operation against the Kurds in Syria's Afrin.Amid rumors of potential resumption of arms sales to Turkey,urged the government to reconsider such deals with Ankara,Agnieszka Brugger, a Greens lawmaker told the Heilbronner Stimme newspaper.Since the 1980s Germany has sold Turkey some 751 Leopard tanks, including 354 modern Leopard 2 type, which has been previously used by Turkey an a cross border operation against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists and US-supported Kurdish militias in Syria.Throughout its military campaign in the neighboring country, Turkey lost a number of 60-ton Leopard 2 tanks, built by Bavaria's Krauss-Maffei, due to mine explosions. News weekly Der Spiegel reported that Turkey wanted Berlin to allow German arms maker Rheinmetall to overhaul its fleet of Leopard 2 battle tanks with better armour and defence systems, after several were destroyed by Islamic State group jihadists in 2016. The frontal armor on the hull and turret on the Leopard 2 is much thicker than on the sides and rear of the tracked vehicle.added Green Party chief Simone Peter.Even a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Norbert Röttgen, noted that it is "completely obvious" thatThe massive outcry from the German politicians was caused by the publication of pictures which allegedly showed German tanks used against the Kurds in Syria.distributed by the state-owned Anadolu Turkish news agency,"Apart from the images from the media that you all know,said Jan Korte, an MP from the Left.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, for the German caretaker government, decide to delay a decision on upgrading Turkey's German-built Leopard 2 tanks until after the formation of a new government coalition. Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu says Turkey expects "solidarity and support" from its ally.