Sharp increase in Swedish arms exports to Turkey since Sweden joined NATO

Exports increased by 109 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year. Before its entry, Sweden had not sold any military equipment to the country.

One of Turkey's demands to admit Sweden to the defense alliance was to remove obstacles to arms exports - which Sweden did early in the negotiations.

At the same time, an annual democracy report from the University of Gothenburg shows that the situation for democracy and human rights in Turkey has not improved, but has worsened.

Paul Levin, who heads the Institute for Turkey Studies at Stockholm University, says Sweden has also become more restrained in criticizing Turkey since the countries entered into a security pact during the NATO negotiations.