Canada
Carney flies to Türkiye tonight as Ottawa and Ankara line up defence, energy and trade deals
Reuters reports a joint declaration is expected during the first dedicated bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister — with nuclear power, LNG and a CANDU reactor bid on the agenda.
Published: October 21, 2026 · Updated: October 21, 2026 · 1 min read
What's expected
Canada and Türkiye are expected to sign a joint declaration deepening cooperation across four areas — defence, energy, the economy and social and diplomatic ties — during Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit this week, according to Reuters, citing a person briefed on the matter. The declaration would also advance bilateral free-trade talks, with the two countries setting up committees in each area to draft action plans.
The itinerary
Carney will be the first Canadian prime minister to make a dedicated bilateral visit to Türkiye. He meets President Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday, then Turkish business leaders in Istanbul on Friday. He departs Ottawa at 6:30 p.m. ET today, according to the Prime Minister's Office itinerary — after a 1:30 p.m. meeting with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and a 2:00 p.m. joint announcement "to protect workers and strengthen Ontario industries."
Nuclear and LNG
Energy may carry the most substance. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told the Kanal 7 broadcaster on Sunday that nuclear power would be among the top agenda items. Ankara anticipates discussions on potential Turkish purchases of Canadian LNG and critical minerals, Reuters reports, and a working group is expected to study a bid by Canada's CANDU to build a planned nuclear plant on Türkiye's Black Sea coast.
The Canadian angle
The visit is part of Carney's push to reduce trade dependence on the United States amid the damaging trade war with Washington — Reuters notes the context of an increasingly adversarial relationship with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly questioned Canada's sovereignty. At a Canadian government briefing on Tuesday, officials declined to confirm which agreements or deals would actually be signed. Ottawa says it's most interested in Turkish aerospace, defence, energy, mining, high-tech and agriculture sectors.
What matters
What happened
Mark Carney departs Ottawa for Türkiye at 6:30 p.m. ET today — the first dedicated bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister — with Reuters reporting a joint declaration on defence, energy, trade and diplomatic ties is expected.
Why it matters
It's Carney's diversify-away-from-Washington strategy in action: deeper ties with a NATO ally and regional power across energy, defence and trade, with free-trade talks in the mix.
What we know
Nothing is confirmed — the declaration is expected per a person briefed on the matter, and Canadian officials declined to confirm specifics at a Tuesday briefing. Watch what actually gets signed Thursday and Friday.
What we don’t
Carney meets Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday, then Turkish business leaders in Istanbul on Friday. The nuclear working group and any LNG or critical-minerals commitments would be the concrete deliverables.
What’s next
Whether the CANDU bid for the Black Sea plant moves past a feasibility study — and how much real trade this adds versus symbolism.
Sources
TradeEnergyMark CarneyNATOTurkeyErdogandefenceLNGCANDU
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