Canada opened talks with Turkey on Thursday on a free trade agreement, during a landmark visit by Prime Minister Mark Carney. The launch comes while Canada is in the middle of a trade war with the United States.
Carney, a former central banker, has made reducing dependence on Washington and broadening Canada’s partnerships a central goal of his term, which began in March 2025. He is the first Canadian prime minister to make an official visit to Turkey.
Turkey sets trade and flight targets
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said both countries had agreed to begin negotiations on the deal, which would also expand trade and investment, before the end of the year. He said bilateral trade, currently around $3 billion, should rise to $5 billion and later to $10 billion, and that direct flights between the two countries would roughly double.
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Carney said Canadian negotiators would travel to Ankara next month for the first round of talks.
Energy, aerospace and defence in focus
On Friday, Carney is scheduled to meet Turkish business leaders in Istanbul, with energy, aerospace and critical minerals among the strategic sectors on the agenda. The two countries have also identified potential for cooperation in nuclear energy.
The sides also announced a partnership agreement in the defence industry. Carney said it would connect Canadian and Turkish companies, create jobs and export opportunities, strengthen security and support a stronger NATO alliance.
Carney’s outreach beyond traditional partners
Carney has made a series of overseas trips, renewing ties with Saudi Arabia, India and China, relations that had been strained or even broken under his predecessor, Justin Trudeau. He has also moved closer to Europe.
“Our goal is not self-sufficiency, it is collective resilience,” Carney said, arguing that Canada is building deeper partnerships with reliable partners.
