Canada and Turkey Launch Strategic Partnership, Aim for Increased Trade and Cooperation

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have announced the launch of a Canada-Turkiye Strategic Partnership, backed by a three-year action plan focused on trade, investment, defense, security, and energy. Negotiators from both countries will begin free trade agreement talks next month, with a goal of increasing bilateral trade from approximately $3 billion to $5 billion initially, and then to $10 billion. The partnership is intended to strengthen cooperation in areas including energy supply, defense production, aerospace, and artificial intelligence, as well as address shared security concerns in regions such as Ukraine, the South Caucasus, and Gaza.

Erdogan stated the partnership marks a new era in relations between the two countries, overcoming a period of disconnect. Carney echoed this sentiment, emphasizing Canada’s desire to build deeper partnerships with reliable partners and highlighting Turkiye as an exceptional collaborator. The agreement comes as Canada seeks to reduce its dependence on the United States. Specific areas of energy cooperation will include liquefied natural gas, nuclear energy, and critical minerals.

While the partnership encompasses a broad range of areas, the focus on trade is central, with both leaders expressing optimism about the potential for significant growth. The three-year action plan is structured around four pillars: trade and investment; defence and security; energy; and people-to-people ties. The first round of trade talks is scheduled to take place in Ankara next month.

Background

• Mark Carney is the current Prime Minister of Canada, having assumed office following the 2026 election [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-17].
• Tensions between Canada and the United States have been escalating, with the US imposing import bans on Canadian goods in September 2026 [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-29].
• Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the President of Turkiye, and has been critical of certain Western leaders, including accusations leveled at him by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-24].
• There has been recent discussion of separatist movements within Canada, particularly in Alberta and Quebec, with Prime Minister Carney actively discouraging such movements [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-09].

Our reading

Our reading is that Canada is actively seeking to diversify its international partnerships, specifically to lessen its economic and potentially political reliance on the United States. The strategic partnership with Turkiye, with its emphasis on trade and energy, appears to be a direct response to recent trade disputes and perceived threats from the US. The framing of Turkiye as a “reliable partner” suggests a deliberate effort to signal a shift in Canada’s foreign policy priorities.

What to watch

• The start of free trade negotiations between Canada and Turkiye next month, specifically whether the initial goal of $5 billion in bilateral trade is publicly reaffirmed [Ankara, next month].
• Whether the three-year action plan’s pillars are reflected in concrete policy changes or investments within Canada and Turkiye [Canadian and Turkish government websites, ongoing].
• Any official response from the United States government to the announcement of the Canada-Turkiye Strategic Partnership [US State Department press releases, within two weeks].

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