Turkey Withdraws from CFE Treaty

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey has signed a decree to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) starting April 8. The decree has been published in the official government gazette, Resmi Gazete. This information was reported by TASS.

The text of the document states that as of April 8, 2024, the implementation of the treaty between the Republic of Turkey and the other participant states of the CFE will be suspended in accordance with the presidential decree.

The CFE was signed on November 19, 1990, in Paris and was ratified by the Turkish government on July 1, 1992. The treaty places limits on the conventional armed forces and military equipment of 30 participating states in five main categories (battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery systems of 100 mm caliber and above, combat aircraft, and attack helicopters). It also provides for information exchange and verification.

According to the pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak, this decision follows Russia's withdrawal from the CFE in November 2023. Following that, the United States and NATO announced the cessation of their obligations under the treaty. At that time, Ankara expressed regret over the decision made by NATO partners and called on them to return to the CFE.

The current decision is attributed to the increasing international tensions, with Turkish media citing diplomatic sources that suggest Ankara believes the treaty has lost its significance under current conditions and that the obligations it entails are not being fulfilled. It is noted that the decision to suspend obligations under the treaty may be reversible.