Mark Carney Visits Turkey to Diversify Trade From US

Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Ankara on October 22, 2026, for the first-ever dedicated bilateral visit by a Canadian leader to Turkey. The three-day trip, which includes meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and business leaders in Istanbul, aims to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership and reduce Canada's economic reliance on the United States following sweeping tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

In Ankara, Carney and Erdoğan are expected to sign a joint declaration to deepen cooperation in defense, energy, sustainable mining, and climate. Key discussions center on Turkey's interest in Canadian CANDU nuclear reactors for new power plants on the Black Sea coast, as well as cooperation on drones and naval systems. This diplomatic push follows Canada's 2024 decision to lift weapons-export controls on Turkey.

Economically, the two nations launched free-trade agreement negotiations in July, with goals to increase bilateral trade from $2 billion to as much as $10 billion. Turkey has also agreed to become a founding member of Canada's Defence Security and Resilience Bank. While the visit signals a shift toward values-based realism in foreign policy, it has faced criticism from LGBTQ+ groups over Canada's perceived failure to condemn Turkish raids on minority advocacy organizations.