Canada's Carney to make historic bilateral visit to Turkey

Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 10/07/2026 - 15:07 Canadian PM seeks to deepen ties with Ankara as Canada looks to expand trade beyond the US

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the Presidential Complex in Ankara ahead of the Nato Heads of State and Government Summit, on 7 July 2026 (Handout/Turkish Presidential Press Service/AFP) Off

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit Ankara and Istanbul from 21-23 October, his office announced on Tuesday, marking the first standalone bilateral visit to Nato ally Turkey by a Canadian prime minister.

The trip comes as Carney seeks to diversify Canada's economic and diplomatic relationships and reduce its dependence on the US, its largest trading partner, following the breakdown of trade negotiations in August.

During his visit to Ankara, Carney is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discuss ways to deepen cooperation in areas including energy and mining, climate, defence, and security, according to the prime minister's office.

In Istanbul, Carney will meet Turkish business leaders and investors as he promotes Canada as a destination for international trade and investment.

His office said the prime minister will highlight opportunities to expand bilateral trade in key sectors such as energy, aerospace, advanced technology, mining, and critical minerals.

Carney has pledged to double Canada's trade with countries outside the US over the next decade and has stepped up efforts to strengthen relations with countries including China and India, despite previous tensions with both.

The tit-for-tat trade war between the US and Canada started in early 2025, when US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, accusing Canada of failing to secure its border against illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling.

The tariff dispute that ensued has threatened one of the world's largest bilateral trading relationships, with more than $2.5bn worth of goods and services crossing the Canada-US border each day.

Canada initially announced retaliatory tariffs covering up to $109bn in US imports after Washington imposed 25 percent tariffs on most Canadian goods and 10 percent on Canadian energy in March 2025.

Previously, the bilateral trade relationship between the US and Canada was one of the world's largest, with Ottawa buying "more from American businesses than the UK, France, China and Japan combined", according to former Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

India, with its fast-growing economy, expanding at around seven percent annually, plays a central part in Canada's goal of doubling non-US exports over the next decade.

'Shared ambitions': Canada, Saudi Arabia sign deals on defence, investment, and AI Read More »

Canada's relations with India deteriorated sharply when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a link between Indian government agents and the assassination of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023, in Surrey, British Columbia.

India rejected the claim, leading to a tense standoff involving the expulsion of top diplomats and a freeze on all formal trade negotiations.

Since Carney took office in early 2025 as prime minister, however, relations have improved, with the countries signing agreements on energy transition and critical minerals, as well as defence cooperation.

Ottawa aims to more than double its two-way trade with India to $70bn by 2030.

The Canadian and Turkish leaders formally launched negotiations on a free-trade agreement during the Nato summit in July.

Turkey has also agreed to become one of 10 founding members of Canada's Defence Security and Resilience Bank, a multilateral initiative Carney established to bring together "middle powers".

Diplomacy News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0