Canadian PM Carney plans visit to Turkey to meet Erdogan

Key facts

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to visit Turkey this month.
• The visit would be the first dedicated bilateral visit to Turkey by a Canadian leader.
• Carney and Erdogan may discuss free-trade talks, energy, and defense cooperation.
• Canadian and Turkish trade ministers agreed to accelerate free-trade talks.
• Turkey joined Canada's Defence Security and Resilience Bank as a founding member in July.
• Canada removed weapons-export controls on Turkey in 2024.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is planning a visit to Turkey this month to meet with President Tayyip Erdogan, according to four sources familiar with the matter. This would mark the first dedicated bilateral visit to Turkey by a Canadian leader. The two leaders are expected to discuss ongoing free-trade negotiations, which were formally launched on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara in July. Potential cooperation in energy and defense sectors may also be on the agenda. Canadian and Turkish trade ministers agreed this week to accelerate the free-trade talks ahead of the leaders' meeting.

Carney's visit aligns with his broader strategy to reduce Canada's reliance on the United States as its primary trading partner. He has committed to doubling Canada's non-U.S. trade within the next decade and has been actively pursuing ties with various countries, including China and India. This approach has involved a reduced focus on human rights issues compared to his predecessors, a stance supported by polls indicating public backing for his economic reinforcement efforts amidst U.S. tariffs.

President Erdogan, who has led Turkey for 23 years, is seeking new markets and collaborations for his country's growing defense industry. Turkey, with the European Union as its largest trading partner, is also looking for partnerships and investments in its energy, infrastructure, and mining sectors. Rights groups have previously criticized Erdogan's administration for a crackdown on political opposition, though he maintains that an independent judiciary is investigating these matters.

In July, Turkey became one of ten founding member nations of Carney's multilateral "middle powers" bank, the Defence Security and Resilience Bank. Canada also removed weapons-export controls on Turkey in 2024, including technology for drones. Despite these developments, bilateral trade between Canada and Turkey remains modest, accounting for less than 0.3% of Canada's total merchandise trade in 2025, valued at C$4.34 billion, compared to C$1 trillion with the U.S. Canada's primary exports to Turkey include lentils, aircraft, and electronics, while it imports medical devices, fishing vessels, aircraft engines, and jewelry.