The news that Turkey secretly delivered internationally banned cluster munitions to Ukraine, the 155mm M483A1 cluster munitions, is true. The news was first reported by Foreign Policy magazine in January 2023, and has since been confirmed by other news outlets.
According to Foreign Policy, Turkey began delivering the cluster munitions to Ukraine in late 2022, after months of Kyiv pleading with the Biden administration for the weapons. The munitions are reportedly being used by Ukrainian forces to destroy Russian tanks and kill Russian troops on the battlefield.
Cluster munitions are controversial weapons because they can cause widespread civilian casualties. When they are used, they release hundreds or even thousands of small bomblets that can land in unpredictable areas, often long after the initial attack has ended. These bomblets may remain undetonated for years, posing a danger to civilians and first responders.
Turkey is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions. However, Turkey is not a party to the convention, which means that it is not legally bound by its provisions.
The Turkish government has denied that it has delivered cluster munitions to Ukraine, but the evidence suggests otherwise. The news of Turkey's secret delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine is a reminder of the dangers of these weapons and the need to continue working to ban them. Google Bard
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