Turkey tightens military-transit rules to stop illicit arms trade Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 11:35 New regulation aiming to combat unregistered transit military exports comes as US-Israeli war on Iran spills into the region Massive container and cargo ships docked at the piers or positioned in dry docks within the Tuzla Shipyards Zone, Turkey, 13 March 2026 (Tolga Ildun/Zuma Press Wire via Reuters) Off The Turkish government has tightened controls on the transit and re-export of military equipment and defence-related items to third countries through Turkey under a new regulation introduced on Monday. The regulation, published in the Official Gazette, establishes a new framework for inspecting defence industry goods and components transported via Turkey or re-exported by Turkish companies under transit trade arrangements. Under the new rules, it is now mandatory to obtain a letter of conformity from the Ministry of Trade for the transit passage through Turkey or the re-export via Turkey of products included on Ankara’s list of controlled items. Upon an application by the individual or entity carrying out the shipment, the ministry will assess the request after obtaining the opinions of relevant institutions and organisations. Shipments not accompanied by a letter of conformity will not be allowed to transit through Turkey. The regulation also states that some products not typically regarded as military components or systems may still be subject to inspection, even if they are not included on the list of controlled items. “The Ministry of Trade may initiate the conformity procedure where there is suspicion that the product could be used for military purposes, where risks are identified that could jeopardise national or international security, where there is a possibility of human rights violations, or where findings emerge that could lead to adverse consequences for international relations,” the regulation said. The timi