Carney to meet Erdogan in Turkey amid US trade tensions, seeks new markets beyond Washington: Report

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to visit Turkey this month to meet President Tayyip Erdogan, in what would be the first dedicated bilateral visit to the country by a Canadian leader, four sources familiar with the plans told Reuters.The two leaders are expected to discuss free-trade negotiations launched on the sidelines of a Nato summit in Ankara in July, as well as potential cooperation in energy and defence, one of the sources said.Canadian and Turkish trade ministers agreed this week to accelerate the negotiations ahead of the proposed meeting, two sources told Reuters. The sources did not disclose the dates or agenda of Carney’s planned visit.The trip would be the latest step in Carney’s efforts to diversify Canada’s trade and diplomatic ties and reduce its dependence on the United States, its largest trading partner. The effort follows the collapse of trade talks with Washington in August.Carney’s office and Erdogan’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Carney seeks to diversify Canada's trade tiesCarney has pledged to double Canada’s non-US trade over the next decade and has moved to strengthen relations with several countries, including China and India, with which Canada has had strained ties in the past.His outreach has placed less emphasis on human rights concerns than that of previous Canadian governments, as he seeks to build economic partnerships amid US tariffs. Polls have shown strong support among Canadians for efforts to reinforce the country’s economy.Erdogan, who has led Turkey for 23 years, is also seeking new markets and partnerships for the country’s defence industry, which has expanded in recent years. Turkey is looking to attract investment and cooperation in sectors including energy, infrastructure and mining.Rights groups have criticised Erdogan’s government over its crackdown on the political opposition since 2024. Erdogan has said an independent judiciary is investigating the opposition and rejected claims that the cases are politically motivated.Human rights concerns in TurkeyWestern countries have become less vocal about Turkey’s human rights record as Ankara has emerged as a defence-industrial power and a key partner in efforts to counter Russian aggression, Reuters reported.A wave of arrests and restrictions targeting Turkey’s LGBTQ+ community began last month. The government has said the measures are part of an investigation aimed at protecting children and family values. Rights groups and some European officials have criticised the actions.The planned visit would mark a rare standalone bilateral trip by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey. No Canadian leader is known to have made such a visit in recent decades, although Canadian prime ministers have met Erdogan and other Turkish leaders on the sidelines of multilateral gatherings, including Nato and G20 summits hosted by Turkey.Trade talks and defence cooperationCarney and Erdogan formally launched negotiations for a free-trade agreement during the Nato leaders’ summit in July.Turkey also agreed that month to join Canada’s Defence Security and Resilience Bank as one of the 10 founding members of Carney’s proposed multilateral institution for middle powers.The two countries’ trade ministers met in June and discussed expanding cooperation in renewable and nuclear energy, according to a Canadian government statement. Aerospace, defence and security were also identified as potential areas for new partnerships.Turkey has been exploring options for building its second and third nuclear power plants. It has held talks with Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRealis, South Korea’s Korea Electric Power Corporation and China’s State Power Investment Corporation. Russia’s Rosatom is building Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.An AtkinsRealis executive told Reuters this year that the company expected Turkey to complete an early review of its CANDU reactor technology following an information exchange. The review could lead to concrete discussions about a potential bid to build a plant, the executive said.Canada and Turkey took steps to improve bilateral ties in 2024, when Ottawa removed weapons-export controls on Turkey. The restrictions had included controls on optical technology used in drones that Turkey exports to dozens of countries.Bilateral trade remains limitedDespite the push to expand economic ties, trade between Canada and Turkey remains modest.Turkey accounted for less than 0.3% of Canada’s total merchandise trade in 2025, worth C$4.34 billion ($3.05 billion), compared with about C$1 trillion in trade with the United States, according to Statistics Canada data cited by Reuters.Canada mainly exports lentils, aircraft and electronics to Turkey. Its imports from Turkey include medical devices, fishing vessels, aircraft engines and jewellery.The proposed visit comes as both countries seek to broaden their economic and strategic partnerships. For Canada, Turkey offers a potential partner beyond its traditional trade relationships, while Ankara is seeking investment and access to new markets for its energy, infrastructure and defence sectors.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. 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