Mark Carney and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan deepen cooperation between Canada and Turkey in the fields of defense, energy, and trade

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey on Thursday, as part of the first bilateral visit by a Canadian leader to the country. The two are expected to sign a declaration on deepening cooperation in four areas, including defense and energy.

The visit is part of Carney’s international trade tour, which aims to strengthen Canada’s relations with other “middle powers,” expand markets for exports, and reduce economic dependence on the United States. Nearly 70% of Canadian exports are currently directed to the U.S., amid tariffs imposed by Donald Trump’s administration.

Canada and Turkey began negotiations for a free trade agreement at the NATO summit in July. Ankara is seeking investments and partnerships for its defense industry, nuclear projects, and mining sector, while Ottawa aims to double exports to countries outside the U.S. over the next decade.

Bilateral trade has grown by nearly 50% over the past five years, but totaled 4.34 billion Canadian dollars, less than 0.3% of Canada’s total merchandise trade.