The Swedish authority tasked with controlling exports of war materials said Friday it has authorized the resumption of exports of military equipment to Türkiye, reversing a ban in place since 2019.
The policy reversal is linked to Sweden and Finland’s bid to join NATO, of which the Nordic countries sought membership earlier this year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But their bid faced a hurdle as Türkiye raised objections over their support for the PKK terrorist organization and its Syrian wing, the YPG. Any bid to join NATO requires unanimous backing from each of its 30 members.
Ankara requested the lifting of the arms export restrictions after Sweden and Finland applied to join the military alliance in mid-May, which still needs ratification from Türkiye.
Inspectorate of Strategic Products (ISP) said on Friday it had resumed giving permissions for military exports to Türkiye.
“The government has made the assessment that a Swedish membership in NATO is the best way to protect Sweden’s and the Swedish people’s security,” the ISP said in a statement.
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