Stunning global arms trade report in the shadow of war: Turkey’s place draws attention
According to the 2022 report of SIPRI, which reveals the situation of arms trade in the world, the decrease in the sales of arms from the USA to Turkey, whose share in global arms exports has increased, drew attention. Due to the Ukraine war, European arms imports skyrocketed.
The Swedish-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) 2022 report on global arms exports has been published. According to the report, which reveals the current situation of arms trade in the world, Turkey’s share in global arms exports was 1.1 percent in the last 4 years. Increasing its arms exports by 69 percent in the last 4 years, Turkey ranked 12th in arms exports.
The United States, which holds 40 percent of global arms exports, was at the top of the list. The arms exports of the USA, which made the most arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia, increased by 14 percent between the years 2018-2022 compared to the previous 4 years.
RUSSIA, CHINA AND GERMANY DOWN, FRANCE RISE
The share of Russia in second place decreased from 22 percent to 16 percent. France, which increased its arms exports significantly, took the third place in the list, while China and Germany took the fourth and fifth place.
Qatar (20 percent), United Arab Emirates (17 percent) and Oman (13 percent) were the countries to which Turkey sold the most weapons, respectively.
Turkey’s share in global arms imports decreased by 49% between the years 2018-2022 compared to the previous four years. Turkey ranked 19th in the list of countries importing weapons.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar followed India in the first place in the import list.
ARMS SALES FROM USA TO TURKEY DECREASED
In the meantime, it was noteworthy that the USA, which has increased its arms sales to a great extent in the last four years, and especially its arms sales to NATO countries, has reduced its arms sales to NATO ally Turkey.
According to the report, due to the political tensions between the two countries in the last 4 years, Turkey fell from the 7th to the 27th in the list of countries purchasing weapons from the USA.
It was also noteworthy that there was a huge increase in European arms imports due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The increase in the arms imports of NATO member European countries reached 65 percent in 4 years.
