Turkey Imposes Complete Arms Export Ban on India Amidst Growing Tensions

Relations between Turkey and India have reached a nasty point and the Turkish government has imposed a sweeping ban on the export of military equipment to India, one of the world’s biggest arms purchasing nations.

This move by the Turkish government comes months after New Delhi cancelled the contract with a Turkish company involved in a shipbuilding project at an Indian shipyard.

The Turkish government has not made any major public announcement in this regard, but this decision has been taken in a closed room in the Turkish Parliament.

According to the details of the debate held in the Foreign Affairs Committee on 10 July 2024, Mustafa Murat Seker, Vice President of Turkey’s top arms procurement agency, Presidency of Defense Industry (SSB), inadvertently revealed the government’s secret policy regarding India.

This move by the Turkish government should not come as a surprise to India, as the two countries find themselves standing in opposite corners when it comes to geostrategic issues. With the growing closeness between Turkey and Pakistan, India is increasingly standing against Turkey on international issues.

After taking its side in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, New Delhi has made it clear that it is taking Greece’s side in the conflict between Turkey and Greece in the Aegean Sea.

 

[Ashish Sandhu]

Its a good opportunity for Indian companies to supply indigenous weapons to the armed forces.