Canada and Turkiye launch strategic partnership with trade, defence and energy agenda

Canada and Turkiye have launched a new strategic partnership backed by a three-year action plan covering trade, investment, defence, energy and people-to-people ties. The announcement was made by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during Carney's two-day visit to Turkiye. The leaders said the agreement is intended to give the relationship a more structured basis at a time of wider geopolitical uncertainty.

The plan sets out four pillars: trade and investment; defence and security; energy; and ties between people. The two sides said they will work toward a successful conclusion of a Canada-Turkiye free trade agreement, and will expand bilateral trade and investment in sectors including energy supply, defence production, aerospace and artificial intelligence. Erdogan said the countries had also agreed to begin free trade negotiations before the end of the year.

The leaders also said they intend to deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation on security issues. Their statement referred to support for peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond, including Ukraine, the South Caucasus and the Middle East, particularly Gaza. Energy ministers from both countries are to work on areas including liquefied natural gas, nuclear energy and critical minerals, adding an economic dimension to the wider diplomatic agenda.

The announcement matters because it links two countries seeking to broaden their strategic options in a period of shifting alliances and supply-chain pressure. Carney's visit comes as Canada looks to reduce its dependence on the United States, according to the statement accompanying the launch. For Turkiye, the partnership offers a route to deepen trade and security ties with a major Western economy while also signalling a more active role in regional diplomacy.

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Erdogan said the two countries want to raise their current trade volume of about $3 billion to $5 billion initially, and then to $10 billion. He described the move as more than a symbolic step and said it marked the start of a new era in relations. The leaders' statement also framed the partnership as a response to rising geopolitical uncertainties and evolving humanitarian challenges, though it did not set out a timetable for all of the planned work.

What remains unclear is how quickly the free trade talks can advance, and how much of the action plan will translate into concrete agreements on defence, energy and investment. The statement did not provide details on specific projects, timelines or any binding commitments beyond the launch itself. The next developments to watch are the start of trade negotiations, follow-up work by energy ministers and any further detail on cooperation over Ukraine, Gaza and the South Caucasus.

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