OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada has suspended exports of some drone technology to Turkey while it investigates allegations the equipment was used by Azerbaijani forces involved in fighting with Armenia, a senior official said on Monday.
Project Plowshares, a Canadian arms control group, says videos of airstrikes released by Baku indicate the drones were equipped with imaging and targeting systems from L3Harris Wescam, the Canada-based unit of L3Harris Technologies Inc LHX.N.
“In line with Canada’s strict export control regime and due to the ongoing hostilities, I have suspended the relevant export authorizations for Turkey to allow time for further assessment of the situation,” Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said.
According to the Globe and Mail, L3Harris Wescam received permission to supply seven systems to Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar this year. Turkey is a key ally of Azerbaijan, whose forces are fighting Armenians over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Separately, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters he had asked Champagne to travel to Europe “to discuss with our allies developments in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, particularly Nagorno-Karabakh.”
He did not provide further details and a Champagne official said the exact itinerary had not yet been worked out.
Reporting by David Ljunggren and Julie Gordon; Edited by Richard Chang
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