Canada and Türkiye launch a three-year strategic partnership
Mark Carney and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced a strategic partnership in Ankara covering trade, energy, defence and political dialogue. A three-year action plan assigns implementation to their foreign ministers. The leaders plan to begin free-trade talks before year-end, with a first round in Ankara next month, and announced a defence-sector cooperation memorandum.
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A partnership announced in Ankara
Canada and Türkiye announced a strategic partnership in Ankara on October 22.[1], [2]
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed a three-year action plan covering four fields: trade, investment and innovation; energy and climate; defence and security; and government dialogue and people-to-people ties. Their foreign ministers are tasked with overseeing implementation. The leaders agreed to establish an annual strategic dialogue, alongside annual joint economic and trade committee meetings and continuing political-military and counterterrorism consultations. Migration, consular services, easier travel and cultural exchanges also feature in the plan.[1]
Free-trade negotiations are the next announced step
Erdoğan said negotiations on a free-trade agreement would begin before the end of the year. Carney said the first round would take place next month in Ankara. The leaders also identified ratification of their air transport agreement as an objective. Erdoğan set out a goal of increasing bilateral trade from around 3 billion dollars to 5 billion dollars and then 10 billion dollars. These are his announced targets. No completed free-trade agreement was announced: the leaders set out the next steps for negotiations. The announcement comes as Canada seeks to diversify its external relationships and reduce dependence on the United States.[1]
Energy and defence cooperation cover named sectors
Energy cooperation covers liquefied natural gas, civil nuclear power, renewables and clean technologies. It also includes resilience of critical energy infrastructure and critical-minerals supply chains. The plan identifies energy supply, defence production, aerospace and artificial intelligence as priority sectors. The leaders welcomed a joint statement by their energy ministers. A defence-sector partnerships memorandum was concluded between Global Affairs Canada and Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries. The plan includes NATO cooperation and support for peace and security in Ukraine, the South Caucasus and the Middle East, particularly Gaza. The leaders also expressed an intention to begin dialogue on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition.[1]
