Finland lifts Turkey's arms embargo, is one step closer to NATO

Ezgi Akin

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (L) give a press conference following their meeting in Ankara, on February 8, 2022. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images) — Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (L) give a press conference following their meeting in Ankara, on Feb. 8, 2022. — ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

ANKARA — Finland lifted on Wednesday a nearly three-year-long arms embargo on Turkey in a fresh move aimed to facilitate Helsinki's entry to NATO, while neighboring Sweden's bid appears to be more complicated as its relations tense up with Ankara.

Finland will resume steel exports to Turkey that are used in the production of military equipment armor, the Finnish Defense Ministry announced in a statement.

The move is a reversal of the 2019 decision when Finland stopped issuing licenses for military exports to Turkey in retaliation to the Turkish military operation against the Syrian Kurdish groups allied with the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State.

Puolustusministeri Savola on päättänyt myöntää vientiluvan ajoneuvojen suojaukseen käytettävälle suojausteräkselle Turkkiin. Luvan myöntäjä on puolustusministeri eikä asiaa ole käsitelty hallituksen kesken. 1/2

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Finland lifts Turkey's arms embargo, is one step closer to NATO

While Finland seems one step closer to NATO membership after Helsinki’s decision to resume defense sales to Turkey, Ankara’s anger at Sweden shows no signs of abating.

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