ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Turkey on Thursday for a two-day visit seeking to forge a new partnership as Canada looks to reduce its dependence on the United States.
Carney is making the first bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey, although he traveled to Ankara in July to attend the NATO summit. He is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials before traveling
to Istanbul for talks with Turkish business groups as the two countries seek to deepen trade ties.
The Canadian prime minister has sought to diversify partnerships and reduce reliance on the United States amid an escalating trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump, marked by U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, retaliatory measures by Canada and statements questioning Canadian sovereignty.
In an interview with Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Canada’s Ambassador to Turkey, Marcel Lebleu, said this week that the visit’s main purpose was to “launch a strategic partnership through a joint declaration by the two leaders.”
Talks would focus on cooperation in energy, nuclear plants, sustainable mining and the defense industry.
The two countries would also hold negotiations on a free trade agreement, he said.
Turkey is looking to build a second nuclear power plant on the Black Sea coast, in addition to one currently being built by Russia’s Rusatom on the Mediterranean coast.
In a sign of improving ties, Canada lifted its ban on the export of weapons to Turkey in 2024. It had imposed the restrictions following Turkey’s military incursions into Syria and over Turkey’s support to Azerbaijan in its conflict against Armenia, including providing equipment that used Canadian-made parts.
A statement from Carney’s office said two-way trade between Turkey and Canada increased by 50% in the past five years.
It said that during the visit, Carney will emphasize opportunities “to expand that growing trade relationship in priority sectors, including energy, aerospace, advanced technologies, and mining and critical minerals.”
