Dutch pay close attention to exports to Turkey with military potential

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The Netherlands is paying much closer attention to Dutch exports to Turkey since last year’s failed coup and the wave of arrests, Trouw said on Monday.

Despite being a Nato ally, Turkey is no longer in the category of countries to which exports fall under the control of the customs service, the paper said. Instead, foreign ministry officials are charged with checking export requests and handing out licences.

This means’dual use goods’ have been placed in a higher risk category when export requests are being assessed, the paper said.

Dual use goods are products which could potentially be used for military ends such as graphite, used in both pencils and nuclear reactors, as well as IT equipment and microchips, Trouw said.

Export licences for military goods have already been refused, foreign minister Bert Koenders told the paper. While no dual use goods have been refused a licence, exporters are being faced with procedural delays.

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