Canada Stops Military Exports to Azerbaijan and Bans Arms Sales to Turkey

Armenian
National Committee of Canada

Comité
national arménien du Canada

Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622

E-mail/Courriel:[email protected]

-PRESS RELEASE-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 4, 2020                                                                         

Contact: Sevag Belian (613) 235-2622

Canada Stops Military Exports to
Azerbaijan and Bans Arms Sales to Turkey

(OTTAWA) – On May 29^th, 2020, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) published
its annual report on Canada’s Military Exports, where it had mentioned that no
military export permits were issued to Azerbaijan during 2019, reported the
Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC). 

Since the sale
of armoured vehicles from private Canadian companies to the Republic of
Azerbaijan in 2017, this is the second year in a row that Canada has not
included Azerbaijan in the list of countries with whom it trades military
goods. Following Turkey’s “Operation Peace Spring” in Syria in October 2019,
Canada also banned military exports to Ankara, which was renewed indefinitely
in April 2020.

Following the
publication of the report, on June 4^th, 2020, the ANCC sent a letter
to Canada’s Foreign Affair’s Minister, the Hon. Francois-Philippe Champagne,
commending the government’s decision and urging the minister to continue
refraining from engaging in arms trade with both Turkey and Azerbaijan.

In the letter,
ANCC Co-Presidents, Hrag Tarakdjian and Shahen Mirakian said “Turkey and
Azerbaijan pose a significant military threat within their immediate region and
beyond. While Turkey continues to destabilize the Middle East and threaten the
very existence of local minorities, Azerbaijan has significantly increased its
military preparedness, constantly signalling a renewal of hostilities in the
Republic of Artsakh, while threatening to attack the Republic of Armenia
directly.”

ANCC’s
co-presidents also shared their hope that based on Canada’s arm’s export
regulations and Ottawa’s accession to the Arms Trade Treaty, military export
permits bound for Turkey and Azerbaijan will become subject to a more rigorous
assessment process.

“Canada
simply cannot become complicit in the unspeakable war crimes and human rights
abuses sanctioned and carried out by regressive dictatorships such as Turkey
and Azerbaijan.”, mentioned the letter.

“We will
continue to monitor the trade of military goods between Canada, Turkey and
Azerbaijan and ensure that our government always does the right thing.” Concluded Tarakdjian and Mirakian.

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The ANCC is the largest and
the most influential Armenian-Canadian grassroots human rights organization.
Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters
throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-Canadian community on a broad
range of issues and works to eliminate abuses of human rights throughout Canada
and the world.