Carney Will Meet Erdogan to Pursue Turkish Trade Ties
Canadian exporters and energy firms should track emerging market access as officials accelerate free-trade talks.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in International Trade
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Turkey this October to advance free-trade negotiations. The trip aims to deepen cooperation in energy, aerospace, and defense as Canada seeks to reduce its economic dependence on the United States.
Why it matters
Carney intends to double Canada's non-U.S. trade over the next decade, signaling a strategic shift for companies currently reliant on North American supply chains. This pivot follows recent moves to normalize defense-related trade between the two nations.
Turkey represented less than 0.3% of Canada's total merchandise trade in 2025, a fraction of the C$1 trillion in trade Canada conducts with the United States. Officials aim to increase this engagement through new energy, infrastructure, and mining investments.
The players
Mark Carney
The Prime Minister of Canada overseeing a strategic initiative to diversify the national economy away from the United States.
Tayyip Erdogan
The leader of Turkey currently overseeing a push for new international investments in energy, infrastructure, and mining.
AtkinsRealis
An engineering and project management firm that holds the exclusive license for Canadian-designed CANDU nuclear reactors.
The details
The diplomatic push follows the launch of free-trade negotiations in July 2026 and Turkey's accession to Canada's Defence Security and Resilience Bank. Businesses in the aerospace and energy sectors, including those leveraging AtkinsRealis's CANDU reactor technology, are primary focus areas. The regulatory environment has already shifted to support these efforts, following the removal of Canadian weapons-export controls on Turkey in 2024.
Timeline
2024: Canada removed weapons-export controls on Turkey.
2025: Turkey accounted for less than 0.3% of Canadian merchandise trade.
June 2026: Trade ministers met to plan cooperation on energy, aerospace, and defense.
July 2026: Canada and Turkey launched formal free-trade negotiations.
October 2026: Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to visit Turkey for leadership talks.
Market Landscape
The expansion of trade ties follows the 2024 removal of Canadian weapons-export controls on Turkey, which paved the way for deeper industrial integration. This effort aligns with a broader national strategy to reduce dependency on U.S. trade flows.
Operators in energy and aerospace should monitor the progress of the CANDU reactor review as a bellwether for Turkish-Canadian commercial viability. Firms should evaluate supply chain exposure and potential market entry points as Canada targets doubling non-U.S. trade.
The takeaway
Expanding trade into non-U.S. markets is a multi-year effort that requires tracking high-level diplomatic milestones. Firms should monitor the conclusion of the CANDU reactor review as a critical signal for future infrastructure investment in the Turkish market.
Further reading
For more on the shift toward global markets, visit our International Trade section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Straits Times.
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