Canada's Carney visits Turkiye in push to ease US trade dependence

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Turkey on Thursday, marking his first bilateral visit as a Canadian leader. The trip aims to deepen trade between Canada and Turkey, as well as ease Canada's dependence on the United States. Carney and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan are expected to sign a declaration strengthening cooperation in areas such as defense, energy, and other sectors of mutual interest.

Turkey, being a NATO member, is seeking new investments and collaboration opportunities, particularly in its growing defense industry, nuclear power plants, and mining sector. Carney's office stated that the visit aims to position Canada as a vital partner in trade and investment.

Despite the relatively small scale of trade between Canada and Turkey - with Turkey accounting for less than 0.3% of Canada's total merchandise trade - bilateral trade has increased by nearly 50% over the past five years. In the past year alone, Canada has signed over 20 trade deals as part of Carney's strategy to double non-US exports in the next decade.

Carney's visit comes amid Turkey's crackdown on the opposition and arrests targeting the LGBTQ+ community. However, Carney has focused more on economic opportunities than on human rights issues. Turkey has expressed interest in building nuclear power plants and expanding its defense industry, with Canada having held talks with various companies about potential investments in these sectors.

Canada mainly exports lentils, aircraft, and electronics to Turkey, while importing medical devices, fishing vessels, aircraft engines, and jewelry. The visit follows Carney's recent global tour aimed at strengthening Canada's trade relations and reducing its dependence on the United States.