Türkiye urges NATO to lift defence trade restrictions

NATO should remove all internal restrictions on defence trade and industrial cooperation, while Türkiye must be allowed to participate in all European defence initiatives, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has stated.

Speaking at the NATO Defence Industry Forum in Ankara, he said if member countries want to enhance the alliance's readiness and strengthen its collective security, they must remove these meaningless sanctions and restrictions from the agenda, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

“All bilateral restrictions should be lifted, and Türkiye, which makes a significant contribution to NATO's European pillar, should be able to participate in all defence and security initiatives in Europe, especially those of the European Union," Yılmaz noted.

Otherwise, he argued, "the development of production capacity will slow down, and costs will rise."

In his view, a more resilient Euro-Atlantic security is possible through an architecture capable of directing production capacity, technology, and operational expertise toward a clear strategic objective.

“We are ready to serve as a reliable and valuable partner. I hope our discussions at the summit will proceed in this spirit, give new momentum to defence industry cooperation, and produce beneficial outcomes for all NATO countries," he added.

Yılmaz further stated that Türkiye currently ranks 11th globally in defence exports and aims to join the world's top 10 exporters in the near future.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov