Five years after imposing restrictions on arms exports to Turkey, Norway has decided to accept Ankara’s arms applications.

After the restrictions are lifted, normal requests for export licences for defence equipment and dual-use products for military purposes to Turkey can resume, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday.

However, we clarify that we will examine each application for such licences individually and thoroughly.

Norway decided in autumn 2019 to suspend until further notice the processing of new applications for arms exports to Turkey, due to the raid launched by Turkish troops in northern Syria at the time.

Other European countries had responded in a similar way to the Turkish offensive in Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia. Germany had then partially halted arms exports to Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed the lifting of restrictions.

On behalf of Fidan, a ministry spokesman wrote to X, saying that such restrictions are not in line with the spirit of the alliance.

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