Canada’s ban on new arms exports to Turkey has been extended indefinitely, Global Affairs has confirmed,CBC News reports.
The Liberal government imposed a suspension on the approval of export permits last fall after Turkish forces launched an incursion into northern Syria.
Charles-Marie Matte, deputy director of the export controls division at Global Affairs, said in an email that approvals have been suspended “until further notice.”
The government of Turkish President Recep Erdogan insisted the incursion was necessary to create a buffer zone against Kurdish militia forces.
Turkey is on a Canadian government list of “trusted” countries where Canadian defence contractors can safely do business and sell sophisticated, restricted weapons.
While some permit applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the revised notification makes it clear that certain military items “will be presumptively denied” to Turkey. In other words, companies with those goods shouldn’t even bother applying for permission to sell them to Turkey.
