Skip to main content

Is Canadian embargo harbinger of more sanctions for Turkey?

The Canadian government’s decision to indefinitely cancel military export permits to Turkey has touched a nerve in the Turkish defense industry and bureaucracy. 
Smoke from a presumed drone or artillery strike on October 3, 2020, in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh.

On April 12, Canada announced the cancellation of 29 military export permits to Turkey. Twenty-five of these permits cover WESCAM cameras that are used in drones.

Thomas Juneau, assistant professor at the graduate school of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa, told Al-Monitor, “Officially, Canada took the decision to cancel 29 permits for the export of military exports to Turkey because an internal government investigation found credible evidence that airstrike-targeting gear that had been made in Canada and then exported to Turkey was subsequently re-exported to Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani military then used Turkish-built drones that included these components in its war with Armenia. The end-user agreement, however, did not permit the reshipment of these pieces of equipment to a third country. The Canadian government investigation also found credible evidence that drones built in Turkey and that included Canadian equipment were used by Turkey in Syria.”

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.