Commercial brakes manufactured by a Dutch company for use in ambulances in Turkey instead ended up in missiles Ankara used in attacks in northeastern Syria.

According to the report, between September 2021 and June 2022, field investigators from London-based Conflict Armament Research analyzed the remains of 17 air-to-ground missiles used in strikes in northeastern Syria. Analysis of the components of the wreckage revealed that the missiles were manufactured by the Turkish defense company Roketsan.

The missiles included components manufactured by American, Chinese and European companies, including electromagnetic brakes with markings and characteristics consistent with the products of (a Dutch company) Kendrion NV, the report said.

Kendrion representatives said the company agreed to supply 20,000 to 25,000 brakes to the Turkish company FEMSAN in 2018 with the stated purpose of using them on blood testing machines installed in ambulances. The report notes that after being notified that the brakes were being used for military purposes, Kendrion said it terminated its business relationship with the Turkish company.

The study was conducted before the latest series of Turkish airstrikes in northeastern Syria, which began last month.

The report did not allege that the sellers of components used in the missiles violated any laws, noting that although the EU has had an arms embargo on Syria itself since 2011, (Turkey) has never been subject to sanctions at the multilateral level.