Turkey ‘not happy’ with Canada’s continued arms embargo, top diplomat says
Global News
Turkey's deputy minister of foreign affairs said Canada shouldn't have such restrictions on a military ally and also called for more flights between the two countries.
Turkey’s deputy minister of foreign affairs says Ankara still wants Canada to drop its arms embargo, while pushing back on concerns about tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“One issue … about (which) unfortunately Turkish diplomats are not happy, is the restriction of defence equipment, although we are in the same alliance of defence for collective security,” said Ahmet Yildiz, one of the top diplomats in Turkey’s foreign service.
During a Tuesday forum organized by the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy think tank, Yildiz said Canada shouldn’t have such restrictions on a military ally.
“We are disappointed that these restrictions continue. We have a lot of responsibilities in the Black Sea, in the Mediterranean to defend NATO interests, but we are sanctioned.”
Canada halted new export permits to Turkey in October 2019 after a military incursion into Syria, and temporarily downgraded those restrictions in April 2020 for six months.
In October 2020, Canada again suspended export permits given “credible evidence that certain Canadian military goods and technology exported to Turkey” had been used in conflicts such as that in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The region has been controlled by Armenia in the past and is populated by ethnic Armenians, but it is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
Ottawa believes Azerbaijan has been using Turkish drones equipped with Canadian sensors, in line with extensive media reporting. It also has evidence that Turkish drones with Canadian sensors might have been used in Libya and Syria.
Prime Minister Mark Carney endorsed a statement after it was released by allies Thursday, expressing willingness to contribute to efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz..
James 'Jimmy' Gracey was reported missing after he didn't return to the short-term rental where he was staying with friends during spring break.
The Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery in Kuwait, which can process some 730,000 barrels of oil per day, is one of the largest in the Middle East.
U.S. intelligence, military and law enforcement officials unanimously agreed that an intelligence assessment doubting a foreign role in the 'Havana syndrome' should be withdrawn.
The federal Conservatives accuse the government of being too secretive about the war and point out that Canada's allies are sharing such information openly at daily briefings.
Canada is amongst several nations who 'condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf.'
Gas prices in Canada have been climbing sharply since the Iran war began, but how much higher they could go is unclear as consumers struggle with the higher cost of living.
The Oscar-winning actor has denied all allegations against him and maintains that the incidents raised in the lawsuits either did not happen or were consensual.
European leaders have deflected entreaties from U.S. President Donald Trump to send military assets to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
All six crew members of a KC-135 Air Force refueling aircraft were killed last week in a plane crash over friendly territory in western Iraq, supporting operations against Iran.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified that the regime remains intact and Tehran and its proxies remain capable of attacking U.S. and allies' interests.
James 'Jimmy' Gracey was reported missing after he didn't return to the short-term rental where he was staying with friends during spring break.
The U.K. Health Security Agency described the event as 'rapidly evolving' and warned of the potential for further cases.