Turkey denies exporting war weapons to Syria

Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz has dismissed allegations that his country exported war weapons to Syria in 2013, stressing that Turkish companies exported only sports-related rifles and guns to the war-torn country.

Yilmaz's statement came in response to a news report in local Daily Hurriyet that Turkey exported more than 47 tons of weaponry equipment to the Syrian opposition since June.

"No war weapons have been exported to Syria. No gun has gone from Turkey to Syria in 2013," Yilmaz said during a parliament session on Tuesday.

Turkey has been exporting "smooth-bore hunting rifles and blank firing guns. No other exports have been made," the minister said, adding that this kind of commodities is not subject to limitation and permits in line with the current international rules and regulations.

Turkey and Syria are at odds since protests erupted in 2011, as more than 600,000 Syrian refugees are sheltered in Turkish territory. Turkey provides support to Syrian opposition allowing the Syrian National Coalition open headquarters in the Turkish largest city of Istanbul.

Turkish police seized nearly 1,000 rocket heads in November, in search of a truck in the southern province of Adana headed to Syria.