ANKARA (Reuters) – Canada has resumed talks with Turkey to lift export controls on drone parts following Turkey’s approval for Sweden to join NATO, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The Turkish decision, announced ahead of a NATO summit in Vilnius, took many by surprise, as President Tayyip Erdogan had previously demanded that Sweden take action against groups designated as terrorists by Ankara. The move led to other concessions, including the United States’ decision to proceed with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets.
As part of these negotiations, Canada has shown a willingness to reopen talks on lifting export controls on drone parts, including optical equipment, an important development for Turkey’s defense industry. The source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, explained that Canada had suspended the export of certain drone technology to Turkey in 2020, citing its alleged use by Azerbaijan’s forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Turkey, which had already sought assurances from the United States regarding the F-16 fighter jets, also requested Canada’s export controls to be included in the final discussion. The source described Turkey’s position as “a package deal”, indicating that Turkey wanted all these matters to be addressed collectively.
Canada agreed to reopen the discussions on export controls, which had been frozen since Turkey initially objected to the NATO membership bids of both Sweden and Finland last year. In return, Turkey pledged to ratify Sweden’s bid at the Vilnius summit. At the summit, Canada outlined its stance on the rules governing the use of exported technologies, waiting for Turkey’s response. This development allowed the talks on export controls to proceed, contributing to Erdogan’s pledge regarding Sweden.
While both Canada and Turkey continue to engage in discussions on various bilateral, economic, and commercial relations, export controls for Turkey remain in place, according to a spokesperson for Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.
A Turkish defense ministry official expressed dissatisfaction with NATO allies imposing export restrictions on each other, stating that progress had been made at the Vilnius summit. However, the official also emphasized that Turkey would monitor the outcome of the negotiations and decisions made at the summit.
In a recent interview, Erdogan called for all NATO allies to lift sanctions and restrictions on Turkey’s defense industry. His optimism regarding the sale of F-16 fighter jets increased following his meeting with US President Joe Biden. Erdogan had previously requested the purchase of $20 billion worth of F-16 fighters and modernization kits.
Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership bids had faced objections from Turkey, largely due to concerns surrounding the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Turkey ratified Finland’s membership after Erdogan stated that Helsinki had taken concrete steps against these terrorist groups and had freed up defense exports.
Erdogan announced that he would submit Sweden’s ratification to parliament when it reopens in October, and Stockholm would provide a roadmap outlining the necessary steps to be taken for approval.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), on which Erdogan’s AK Party relies for its parliamentary majority, had previously criticized Sweden for its failure to distance itself from terrorism. However, Erdogan will make the final decision on Sweden’s membership bid.
Erdogan also highlighted the need for steps from the European Union, such as updating the customs union and implementing visa-free travel, before Turkey takes action on its promises. A European diplomat noted that Erdogan may have leveraged the situation to maximize his gains, referring to his history of using leverage in negotiations.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara and Jonathan Spicer in Istanbul; Additional reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa and John Irish in Vilnius; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
