Source: European Parliament
The Commission cannot comment, neither on negotiations leading to arms sales by Member States, nor on Member States’ decisions in individual cases regarding their arms export authorisations, which remain generally their national prerogative.
Such export is subject, inter alia[1], to Council Common Position (CP) 2008/944/CFSP[2]. Under its Article 2(5)(b), when assessing export licence applications, Member States shall take into account the risk of use of the items against their forces or those of other Member States, as well as those of friendly and allied countries.
The EU has stressed that Türkiye must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Member States. The EU has also underlined its expectations from Türkiye to fully respect international law, to de-escalate tensions in the interest of regional stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, and to promote good neighbourly relations in a sustainable way[3].
The Council has taken good note of the recent improvements in relations between Türkiye and Greece in the expectation that they will be sustainable[4].
In its conclusions of 14 October 2019[5], the Council recalled the decision taken by some Member States to halt arms exports to Türkiye. Member States committed to strong national positions on the basis of the CP, including strict application of criterion 4 (regional stability) as a basis for denying a licence.
Member States continuously work in the Common Foreign and Security Policy framework to promote convergence in arms exports. The Council’s Working Party on Conventional Arms Export remains seized of arms exports to Türkiye .
- [1] This includes also national legislation and the Arms Trade Treaty, https://thearmstradetreaty.org/hyper-images/file/ATT_English/ATT_English.pdf?templateId=137253
- [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32008E0944
- [3] This was stressed by the European Council conclusions of June 2022, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/06/24/european-council-conclusions-23-24-june-2022/, p.7.
- [4] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-16707-2023-INIT/en/pdf
- [5] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13090-2019-INIT/en/pdf