Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a “strategic partnership” between their two countries on Thursday, as Canada seeks to reduce its economic dependence on the United States.
The announcement came during Carney’s two-day visit to Turkey, the first bilateral trip by a Canadian prime minister to the country, though he had previously traveled to Ankara in July for a NATO summit. The two leaders oversaw the signing of three cooperation agreements covering the defense industry, transportation and energy, and announced the start of negotiations on a free trade agreement.
“We have taken a historic step toward the future of our relations,” Erdogan said after the signing ceremony, adding that elevating ties to a strategic partnership would not remain symbolic.
Carney’s push to diversify Canada’s trading relationships comes amid an escalating trade dispute with the United States, after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods. The dispute has included Canadian retaliatory measures and statements from Trump questioning Canadian sovereignty.
“No country, whatever it’s blessed with, no country builds strength alone,” Carney said. “The most resilient countries bring together complementary strengths, with trusted partners.”
Trade and Defense Cooperation
Erdogan said the two countries hope to increase annual bilateral trade volume from around $3 billion to $5 billion initially, and eventually to $10 billion. According to a statement from Carney’s office, two-way trade between Turkey and Canada has already grown by 50% over the past five years.
Carney’s office said the visit would focus on expanding that trade relationship in priority sectors including energy, aerospace, advanced technologies, and mining and critical minerals.
On defense, Carney said allies must be able to rely on one another for equipment and capabilities. “Today’s new agreement on defense industry partnership will connect Canadian and Turkish companies to work together, creating good jobs at home, export opportunities abroad, greater security for our citizens and contributing to a stronger NATO alliance,” he said.
In a sign of improving relations, Canada lifted its ban on weapons exports to Turkey in 2024. The restrictions had been imposed following Turkey’s military incursions into Syria and over its support for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia, which included the use of equipment containing Canadian-made parts.
Nuclear and Mining Interests
Turkey is planning to build a second nuclear power plant on its Black Sea coast, in addition to one already under construction by Russia’s Rosatom on the Mediterranean coast. Canada has expressed interest in participating in that project. Talks between the two countries during the visit also covered cooperation on sustainable mining.
Canada’s Ambassador to Turkey, Marcel Lebleu, said ahead of the trip that its main purpose was to “launch a strategic partnership through a joint declaration by the two leaders,” with discussions focused on energy, nuclear plants, sustainable mining and the defense industry.
Human Rights Concerns Raised by Amnesty International
Ahead of the visit, Amnesty International urged Carney to raise human rights concerns with Turkish officials. The visit took place amid an intensified crackdown by Turkish authorities on the political opposition, including the arrest of journalists and activists, among them LGBTQ rights defenders, and the installation of a government-appointed administrator to run a popular opposition-aligned television station.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as a main rival to Erdogan, has been imprisoned for over a year on corruption charges he denies. Hundreds of party members and elected officials have also been detained in what critics describe as an effort to weaken Turkey’s largest opposition group; Erdogan’s government maintains that Turkish courts operate independently.
Amnesty’s Turkey director, Ruhat Sena Aksenir, said in a statement that “as the judiciary is increasingly used to silence dissent and suppress critical voices, a clear message emerges: speaking out can come at a heavy price,” adding that “Canada must not treat human rights as secondary in the negotiations.” Carney did not raise the issue publicly during the visit.
Following the Ankara meetings, Carney was scheduled to travel to Istanbul for talks with Turkish business groups.
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