Canada's Prime Minister Carney to meet Erdogan in Turkey for trade and defence talks
Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Turkey later this month for a bilateral meeting with President Tayyip Erdogan, the first dedicated visit by a Canadian leader.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is slated to visit Turkey this month for a one-on-one meeting with President Tayyip Erdogan, marking the first stand-alone bilateral visit by a Canadian head of government. The agenda is expected to include the free-trade agreement initiated at a NATO summit in Ankara, as well as potential collaboration in energy, nuclear power and defence sectors. Both nations' trade ministers have recently pledged to accelerate negotiations before the leaders’ talks.
Carney’s outreach forms part of a broader strategy to double Canada’s trade with non-U.S. partners over the next decade, targeting markets such as China and India. Turkey, eager for new markets for its defence industry and energy projects, recently joined Canada’s Defence Security and Resilience Bank and is discussing CANDU reactor projects with Canadian firm AtkinsRealis. Bilateral trade remains modest, with Turkey accounting for less than 0.3% of Canada’s total merchandise trade in 2025.
Why it matters
The visit signals Canada’s shift toward diversifying trade away from the United States and deepening ties with Turkey.
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