INDIA Ankara imposes a ‘total ban’ on arms sales to India

The decision was taken to support Pakistan and is linked to geopolitical and trade tensions. The “sensitive” news comes from the minutes of a recent meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The deputy SSB informed MPs about the total block if the buyer is based or in any way linked to Delhi.

Istanbul () – In a decision taken under the sign of discretion, but with considerable geopolitical and economic impact, Ankara has imposed a total ban on the export of arms and defence articles to India, one of the main importers of weapons in the world. The measure – as explained by a Turkish official during a closed session of Parliament – has been taken to support Pakistan, Delhi’s main rival in South Asia. In the minutes of the debate in the Foreign Relations Committee on 10 July 2024, it is recorded that Mustafa Murat Şeker, number two of the Turkish Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), the main government agency for arms supplies, was in charge of communicating the new line adopted by the country.

While speaking of “sensitive news”, Şeker himself informed the MPs that the government has banned the sale of any item that could be construed as part of the arms and defence industry if the buyer is based in India or is in any way linked to the Asian giant. Despite “concern” about the repercussions if the decision became public knowledge, the SSB vice-president confirmed the ban, as can be seen from the minutes he was able to access. Nordic Monitoran agency specializing in terrorism, security and military issues.

“India, for example, is one of the top five arms importers in the world, a huge market worth almost 100 billion dollars. However, due to our political situation and our friendship with Pakistan, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not give us a positive response for exporting products to India,” said Mustafa Murat Şeker. “As a result, we will not grant any permits to our companies in this regard.”

The sale of Turkish defence equipment – a rapidly expanding sector for the former Ottoman Empire in which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s family is involved – requires prior approval from Ankara’s military, SSB and foreign ministry. The documents revealed that Delhi has been included in a “blacklist” of countries to which Turkey cannot sell military and defence items.

The decision comes against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in relations between Turkey and India in the last decade of Erdogan’s rule due to specific political decisions, especially Ankara’s widespread support for Pakistan in its disputes with India. The gap has widened over time and has led to a rift between the two G20 member countries. Earlier, Nordic Monitor experts had published a report illustrating how Turkey has secretly helped Pakistan in various areas, such as creating a cyber army aimed at shaping public opinion, influencing the ideas of Southeast Asian Muslims, and even launching attacks against the United States and India and imposing “censorship” of criticism of Islamabad.

The proposal to create such a unit was first floated during private talks in Islamabad between then Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and his Pakistani counterpart Shehryar Khan Afridi on 17 December 2018. The issue was subsequently discussed at the highest level and kept confidential for most of the Interior Ministry staff in Islamabad. The plan was also approved by Imran Khan, then Prime Minister and simultaneously Interior Minister, during a meeting with Soylu on the same day.

The differences between Ankara and Delhi concern not only weapons but also strategic decisions in world trade, starting with the disagreement that arose over the proposal by India, the United States and the European Union – at the G20 summit in New Delhi – to create an economic corridor connecting Europe to India, through the Middle East, by rail and sea routes. Excluded from this corridor, Turkey openly expressed its disagreement with the initiative, which it considers to compromise its role as a commercial hub and to favour Greece and other regional competitors. This is why it has decided to support Beijing’s development plans within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the “new Silk Road”.