A Turkish-made Bayrakdar drone shot down by Artsakh forces on Oct. 22, 2020
YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am) Canada has formally banned the export of drone technology to Turkey, citing “credible evidence” that it was used by Azerbaijan during last year’s war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Canadian government suspended export permits for such technology in early October one week after the outbreak of large-scale fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. It pledged to investigate reports that Turkish-manufactured Bayraktar TB2 combat drones heavily used by the Azerbaijani army are equipped with imaging and targeting systems made by L3Harris Wescam, a Canada-based firm.
“Following this review, which found credible evidence that Canadian technology exported to Turkey was used in Nagorno-Karabakh, today I am announcing the cancellation of permits that were suspended in the fall of 2020,” Canada’s Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement issued on Monday.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (right) with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku on Dec. 10
With Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by his side, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev presided over a parade staged to “celebrate” Azerbaijan’s victory in the Karabakh War.
“We proved that a military solution to Karabakh conflict was possible,” boasted Aliyev during a speech at the parade.
He went on to recite more threats, claiming that Zangerzur, Sevan and Yerevan were all “Azerbaijani territories.
The parade led by soldiers who attacked Artsakh and included a reported 3,000 Turkish troops, as well as the now infamous Turkish-made Bayrakdar drones, which were deployed during the war and caused massive destruction to military and civilian targets in Artsakh.