Canada and Turkey Announce Strategic Partnership
Source reports published 22 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 23 Oct 2026, 3:07 am AEST
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a Canada-Turkiye Strategic Partnership, aiming to increase trade volume to $10 billion and expand cooperation in areas including defence and energy. Negotiations for a free trade agreement are planned before the end of 2026.
What happened
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Turkey to initiate a Canada-Turkiye Strategic Partnership.
- The partnership, backed by a three-year action plan, focuses on trade and investment, with a target of increasing trade volume from approximately $3 billion to $10 billion.
- Discussions included expanding bilateral trade in sectors such as energy, defence production, and artificial intelligence.
- Both leaders agreed to begin free trade agreement negotiations before the end of 2026.
- Carney and Erdogan also committed to deepening defense and security cooperation, including collaboration within the Euro-Atlantic region and support for Gaza.
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the two countries were ‘starting a new era’ and that the partnership would ‘grow for generations to come’.
- Amnesty International urged Canada to prioritize human rights considerations during negotiations with Turkey, citing concerns regarding the crackdown on opposition and the targeting of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Canada seeks to diversify trade relationships amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States.
Original reporting
- Al Jazeera: Carney, Erdogan launch ‘strong and resilient’ Canada-Turkiye partnership
2026-10-22T00:00:00+00:00 - Deutsche Welle: Canada's Mark Carney visits Turkey to boost trade ties
2026-10-22T17:07:58.663000+00:00