Mark Carney’s visit — the first bilateral trip to Türkiye by a Canadian prime minister — produces a three-year action plan, and a defence of engagement despite criticism of Ankara’s human-rights record.
The Canadian
Newsroom
October 23, 2026
3 min read
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have announced a strategic partnership between Canada and Türkiye, covering trade and investment, defence and security, energy, and people-to-people ties. CBC News reported on October 23 that the agreement is backed by a three-year action plan. The visit marked the first bilateral visit to Türkiye by a Canadian prime minister.
The partnership fits a broader pattern in Canadian foreign policy this year: an effort to diversify trade and security relationships as the relationship with the United States remains strained. Türkiye, a NATO member with a large industrial base and a pivotal geographic position between Europe and Asia, offers Canada both a market and a defence partner at a moment when Ottawa is looking for both.
The announcement also drew scrutiny. Carney defended economic engagement with Türkiye despite criticism of the country’s human-rights record, arguing that engagement does not amount to endorsement. That framing echoes the position Canada has taken with other partners whose domestic records prompt concern, and it is likely to be tested as the partnership’s details are negotiated.
Defence and energy are the most consequential pillars. Türkiye has become a significant producer of military hardware, including drones, while Canada is rebuilding its own defence industrial capacity and seeking suppliers beyond the United States. On energy, both countries have interests in LNG markets and in the security of supply routes connecting Europe to alternative sources.
The three-year action plan gives the relationship a timetable, which distinguishes it from a simple communiqué of good intentions. What will matter is whether the working groups it establishes produce agreements on specific projects — and whether Parliament and the public accept the government’s argument that closer ties with Ankara serve Canadian interests without compromising Canadian values. Opposition parties and human-rights organizations will have plenty of opportunities to press that question as the plan’s details emerge over the coming months.
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