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- Alongside Turkish President Erdogan, Canadian leader commends Ankara's defense industry and pivotal mediation in global conflicts
UPDATES WITH CARNEY’S REMARKS ON DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP AND FREE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, SIGNING OF THREE BILATERAL ACCORDS
By Gizem Nisa Demir and Yasin Gungor
ISTANBUL (AA) - Relations between Canada and Türkiye will expand "for generations to come," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announcing that the two nations are elevating their ties to a strategic partnership.
"Our goal is not self-sufficiency; it is collective resilience, and that's why Canada is building deeper partnerships with reliable partners that create new opportunities for us both, and in Turkey, we have an exceptional partner," Carney told a joint news conference.
Carney pointed to Türkiye's role as boasting NATO's "second-largest standing military" alongside one of the world's most "innovative defense industries."
Highlighting the strategic dimension of the partnership, Carney underscored that "security cooperation goes deeper because Turkey's influence extends broadly."
On regional security, the Canadian leader commended Ankara's diplomatic weight on the international stage, noting that Türkiye plays "central roles" in resolving the world's "most difficult conflicts," including crises spanning Gaza, Ukraine, and the Iran war.
Carney affirmed that both capitals planted the seeds of a durable strategic framework. "With care and commitment, that partnership will grow for generations to come," he said before invoking the founding motto of the Turkish Republic in Turkish: "Peace at home, peace in the world."
- Free trade talks and $10B target
Addressing commercial ties, Carney noted that two-way trade jumped 50% over the past five years, though he agreed with Erdogan that the current volume has "barely begun to tap the potential."
"We hope to increase our trade volume, which currently stands at around $3 billion, to $5 billion initially and then to $10 billion through steps we will take," Erdogan said on bilateral goals.
Carney said that Canadian and Turkish trade teams will begin a first round of free trade talks next month in Ankara to dismantle market barriers and reduce business costs.
He added that Export Development Canada and Turk Eximbank will sign an accord on Friday to finance joint infrastructure, energy, mining, critical minerals, and transport ventures in third countries.
- 3 bilateral accords signed
Following the bilateral and delegation-level meetings, Erdogan and Carney oversaw the signing of three key agreements between their governments.
They included a memorandum of understanding on defense sector partnerships, a bilateral air transport agreement, and a joint declaration on energy cooperation.
"Today's new agreement on defense industry partnership will connect Canadian and Turkish companies to work together, creating good jobs at home, export opportunities abroad, greater security for our citizens, and contributing to a stronger NATO alliance," Carney said, adding that in an increasingly divided world, alliance members must rely on one another for protective equipment.
After arriving in Ankara on Thursday for the first bilateral visit to Türkiye by a Canadian premier, Carney said the trip aims to strengthen ties and create new economic opportunities between the two countries.
"Landed in Ankara. This is the first bilateral visit to Türkiye by a Canadian Prime Minister, and we're here to elevate our partnership," Carney said on US social media company X.
He also emphasized opportunities to expand access to Türkiye's market of more than 85 million people and create new economic opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses.
Erdogan welcomed Carney with an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara featuring both countries' national anthems and a 21-gun salute, before the two leaders held a bilateral meeting followed by talks between their delegations.
Muhammed Yasin Güngör
