AA / Stockholm
Sweden on Friday lifted a three-year ban on arms exports to Turkey.
In accordance with the tripartite agreement signed between Türkiye, Sweden and Finland, within the framework of the candidacy of these two Nordic countries for NATO membership, the government agency of the Swedish Inspectorate for Strategic Products ( ISP) said it resumed arms sales to Türkiye in the third quarter of this year.
“In view of the changing circumstances of defense and security policy, ISP has, following a comprehensive assessment, decided to grant a permit for further deliveries from the Swedish defense industry to Turkey”, the agency’s website said, adding that this permit applies to military equipment in the categories of electronic equipment, software and technical assistance.
“The government has considered that Sweden’s membership in NATO is the best way to guarantee the security of Sweden and the Swedish people,” the agency added.
Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO in June, a move prompted by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
However, Türkiye, a NATO member for more than 70 years, has voiced objections to the membership applications, criticizing both countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups. Another Turkish objection was the Swedish embargo on arms sales to the Türkiye.
A trilateral memorandum signed between the countries in June states that Finland and Sweden will not provide support to terrorists from the YPG/PYD, the Syrian branch of the PKK, or the terrorist organization FETO, the group behind the coup. Status postponed to July 2016 in Türkiye.
Türkiye’s parliament must ratify the membership applications of Finland and Sweden so that they join NATO. Turkish officials have notably stressed that the two countries must extradite suspected terrorists within their borders, wanted by Ankara.
* Translated from Turkish by Tuncay Çakmak
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