Canada and Turkey launch free trade negotiations during Carney's historic Turkey visit
Prime Minister Mark Carney made the first official visit by a Canadian leader to Turkey, where Canada and Turkey launched negotiations for a free trade agreement. The move reflects Canada's strategy to diversify its economic partnerships as tensions with the United States escalate. The two countries aim to triple bilateral trade from its current level of $3 billion.
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Amid escalating trade tensions with the United States, Canada and Turkey began trade negotiations on Thursday during a historic visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. As a former central banker, Carney has prioritized reducing Canada's economic dependence on Washington since taking office in March 2025. This was the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey, a fellow NATO member.
During the visit, both countries pledged to deepen cooperation in defence, energy, and climate change. Carney announced that Canadian negotiators would travel to Ankara next month to begin formal trade talks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the two nations aim to conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement before the end of the year. "Our goal is not self-sufficiency, it is collective resilience," Carney said, emphasizing his broader strategy of building partnerships with dependable allies.
Currently, bilateral trade between Canada and Turkey stands at approximately $3 billion annually. The two countries have set ambitious targets to increase this to $5 billion and eventually to $10 billion. Additionally, Turkey and Canada plan to approximately double the number of direct flights between the two nations, facilitating greater people-to-people connections and trade flows.
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