Sweden resumes arms exports to Turkey after NATO membership bid

Reuters
·2 min read
FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows Swedish and NATO flags

OSLO/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Sweden's Inspectorate of Strategic Products (ISP) said on Friday reversed a ban against exporting military equipment to Turkey, following the Nordic country's decision to join the NATO military alliance and agreement to overcome Turkish objections.

The Sweden and Finland sought membership to NATO earlier this year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but faced a hurdle as its application needs the approval of all 30 current members, with Turkey raising objections.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had threatened to block their bids over Ankara's accusations they supported the YPG in northern Syria, which it views as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which is also deemed a terrorist group by the United States and European Union.

Sweden and Finland effectively banned arms exports to Turkey in 2019 after its incursion into Syria against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, with ISP revoking existing permits and granting no new ones since then though no formal embargo existed.

The three countries reached a breakthrough agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid in June, where Sweden and Finland agreed on a set of steps to be taken to address Turkey's concerns about the candidacies.

The ISP said in a statement it began giving export permits during the third quarter but did not reveal which companies or products had been given the go-ahead, citing confidentiality.

"Taking into account the altered defence and security policy conditions, ISP has after a full review decided to grant a permit for follow-up deliveries from Swedish defence industry to Turkey," the authority said.

Turkey in May this year said it had received positive signals with regards to a lifting of the embargo.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik and Supantha Mukherjee; editing by Niklas Pollard)

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