Türkiye calls for lifting all restrictions on defense exports: Head of parliamentary committee

Türkiye calls for the lifting of all formal and informal restrictions on defense exports and arms export licenses in order to equip its forces to effectively combat all kinds of common security challenges, the chairman of parliament's National Defense Committee said Tuesday.

Speaking in Warsaw at the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) organized by Poland, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hulusi Akar said that Türkiye is ready to contribute to stronger transatlantic relations and deepen cooperation in the defense sector and advanced technology.

Akar highlighted that NATO's joint defense missions should be strengthened.

Stressing that terrorism remains one of the most serious hybrid threats, he said Türkiye has been at the forefront of countering this threat by decisively fighting all terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS (Daesh), the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and the PKK/YPG.

Saying that Ankara, which is committed to the principle of the “indivisibility of security” within NATO, has consistently supported NATO's deterrence and defense efforts in all aspects, Akar noted that Türkiye's participation in EUFOR Althea -- the EU's military deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina to oversee the military implementation of the Dayton Agreement -- is "one example of our strong support for regional stability."