Canada and Turkey launch strategic partnership to expand trade and defence ties

Explainer

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a strategic partnership on Thursday aimed at fundamentally deepening relations between Canada and Turkey. The two leaders unveiled a three-year action plan at the Bestepe Presidential Complex in Ankara that will expand political dialogue, trade, technological development and common security. The partnership includes four pillars: trade and investment, defence and security, energy, and people-to-people ties. Carney said Canada is seeking "reliable partners" and praised Turkey as an "exceptional" partner.

"No country builds strength alone," Carney said in a joint statement. "The most resilient countries bring together complementary strengths with trusted partners. Our goal isn’t self-sufficiency. It is collective resilience. That’s why Canada is building deeper partnerships with reliable partners that create new opportunities for Canadians." Erdogan described the agreements as the opening of a new chapter. "We had some kind of disconnect for a period, but today we put an end to it," the president said. "Now comes a new period, a new era for Turkey and Canada. This is what we're starting today."

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What does the new partnership include?

The strategic partnership includes several concrete agreements and plans for future cooperation. Negotiations toward a free-trade agreement, first announced in July, will begin next month in Ankara. The two countries will also finalize an air transport agreement, raising the allowable volume of weekly passenger flights between Canada and Turkey to 21 from 12, with no limit on cargo flights. A memorandum of understanding on defence industry partnerships was signed on Thursday, which Carney said will "connect Canadian and Turkish companies to work together, creating good jobs at home, export opportunities abroad and a stronger NATO alliance." Export Development Canada will sign an agreement with counterpart Turk Eximbank on Friday to help companies in both countries undertake joint ventures in foreign markets, with a focus on energy, mining, critical minerals, infrastructure and transportation. International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu will lead a trade mission to Turkey in 2027. Erdogan said he hopes trade between the two countries, which he said currently stands at around $3 billion, will increase to $10 billion and that he plans to visit Canada with a business delegation.

Why is Canada pursuing closer ties with Turkey?

The partnership is the latest stop in Carney's drive to reduce Canada's reliance on the United States and diversify its trade. Turkey, a member of NATO with a growing defence industrial sector, is seen as a key ally on trade and military production. Canada wants to benefit from Turkey's expertise as it undertakes a sharp increase in military spending. Two senior officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said this could include tapping Turkey's military drone prowess and technology transfers or joint ventures.

Thomas Juneau of the University of Ottawa, an expert in the Middle East, said the government appears to be making a choice not to restrict diversification efforts only to democracies with positive human rights records. "This is morally a difficult dilemma on the Canadian side, but the calculus appears on the part of the government that if Canada were to choose to diversify only with democracies the ceiling for success would be low," Juneau said. Carney has called his approach "values-based realism," which he has explained means no more "lecturing from afar" if Canada disagrees with another country's conduct. "Engagement does not mean endorsement," is Carney's maxim.

What are the concerns about Turkey's human rights record?

The bilateral visit comes as human rights groups raise the alarm over Turkey's democratic backsliding. The U.S. watchdog Freedom House scores Turkey as 32 out of 100 on its civil liberties index, or "not free," saying Erdogan and his party "have become increasingly authoritarian in recent years." In recent months, Turkey has taken over a pro-opposition media outlet, raided LGBTQ groups and convicted a stand-up comic of insulting the president. Asked whether the Canadian delegation raised human rights with Turkey, the Prime Minister's Office said that in a meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and her Turkish counterpart, the minister "raised the importance of the respect for human rights." Ahead of the trip, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said, "Where we have differences of opinion, we discuss those in private." In their joint statement, the two leaders said Canada and Turkey have shared values, including "human rights, individual liberties, democracy and the rule of law."

What is the focus of energy and nuclear cooperation?

Energy and nuclear technology form a significant part of the new partnership. Carney spoke of his desire to sell Candu nuclear reactors, critical minerals and liquefied natural gas to Turkey. He said Hodgson and his Turkish counterpart have agreed to work together to advance collaboration across the energy sector, including liquefied natural gas, civil nuclear energy, renewable energy and critical energy infrastructure. "Canada is on its way to becoming an energy superpower. Turkey's economy is growing rapidly and needs a secure and reliable energy supply. We have much to offer: from LNG and civilian nuclear technology to clean energy and the critical minerals that will be at the heart of tomorrow’s economy," Carney said. Turkey aims to expand its energy capacity significantly, planning to add roughly 20 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2050. Ottawa and Ankara are reportedly planning to set up a working group to study the feasibility of a bid by Canada's Candu team to build Turkey's planned second or third nuclear power plant.

Erdogan said Turkey and Canada were maintaining close contact on nuclear energy, and that cooperation could extend from mining and liquefied natural gas to critical minerals and nuclear power. A joint declaration on energy cooperation was adopted by the two countries' energy ministries. The visit marks a thaw in relations that entered a deep freeze more than five years ago when Ottawa restricted arms exports to Turkey. Carney is the first prime minister to make a bilateral trip to Turkey purely to advance bilateral relations.

With files from The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail and CBC News