Canada Eases Arms Export Restrictions to Turkey
Canada Lifts Export Restrictions on Defense Industry Items to Turkey
In a recent statement issued to exporting companies, the Canadian government announced that the previously imposed restrictions on the export of certain defense industry items to Turkey are no longer in effect.
The statement emphasized that the rejection policy, which was implemented on April 16, 2020, for the export of specific defense-related items to Turkey, has been lifted. Export and brokerage permits for items such as ammunition will now be reviewed on a case-by-case basis within Canada’s risk assessment framework.
Additionally, the statement included standard expressions found in international export permits, as well as requests for assurance in case of sales to third countries and references to human rights law.
The background of the restrictions dates back to Canada’s decision to impose an arms embargo on Turkey after its involvement in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, siding with Azerbaijan against the occupied territories of Armenia. This led to the embargo on defense industry exports to Turkey in October 2020, citing the use of Canadian technology in Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles against Armenian positions.
The impact of the embargo has been significant, leading to losses of between 250-300 million dollars for Canadian companies, and causing Telemus Systems, a key user of these products, to go bankrupt due to the lack of income generated.
It is noteworthy that this is not the first time Canada has imposed such restrictions on Turkey, with the Ottawa administration previously initiating an embargo in response to Turkey’s military operation against Syria in 2019. However, high-level talks between the two parties resulted in the lifting of this decision in June 2020.
The lifting of the export restrictions signifies a positive development in the trade relations between Canada and Turkey, and is expected to have a positive impact on the defense industry in both countries.
