Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is coming to Türkiye

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Türkiye on October 22-23 and hold high-level contacts.

Carney, who is expected to be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will make the first bilateral official visit of a Canadian prime minister to Türkiye.

During the contacts, it is aimed to discuss many issues from trade to defense industry, from energy to mutual investments, as well as political and diplomatic issues.

Carney and his accompanying delegation are expected to meet with representatives of the Turkish business world and discuss the main issues as well as priority sector opportunities such as aviation, advanced technologies and critical minerals.

STATEMENT FROM DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS DURAN

Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also made a statement about the visit on his social media account.

Stating that it is envisaged to raise the relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership on the occasion of the historic visit, Duran said:

"During the meetings to be held within the framework of the visit, all aspects of the cooperation between Turkey and Canada will be evaluated, steps that can be taken to further develop relations will be discussed, and ideas will be exchanged on current regional and global issues. It is also planned to sign agreements in various areas of bilateral cooperation within the scope of the visit."

FTA NEGOTIATIONS ACCELERATED AFTER THE NATO SUMMIT

The recently developed relations between the two countries gained a new dimension with the messages given at the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit hosted by Türkiye in Ankara on 7-8 July.

As a result of the meetings held within the scope of the summit, a joint statement was published regarding the start of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Türkiye and Canada. The technical teams of the two countries have worked intensively since the summit to determine the scope and objectives of the agreement.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu also met in June to advance the economic partnership between the two countries.

During the meeting, the energy sector was evaluated as a "promising area" for further development of cooperation. The possibility of cooperation in the field of nuclear energy was also discussed. These contacts are expected to take the trade of the two countries to a new dimension.

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: MINE WAS POLISHED COMPARED TO ERDOĞAN'S GIFT

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney commented on the personalized gun given to him by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the NATO summit. Carney said his "own gift fell flat."

FOREIGN TRADE VOLUME OF THE TWO COUNTRIES APPROACHED 2 BILLION DOLLARS IN 8 MONTHS

Türkiye's exports to Canada last year were 1 billion 577 million 350 thousand dollars, and its imports from this country were 1 billion 162 million 825 thousand dollars.

Thus, last year the foreign trade volume between the two countries amounted to 2 billion 740 million 175 thousand dollars.

When exports were examined according to sections, boilers, machines, mechanical devices and tools ranked first with 158 million 781 thousand dollars in 2025. This chapter was followed by iron and steel with 104 million 436 thousand dollars, and iron or steel goods with 97 million 46 thousand dollars.

In the 8 months of this year, Türkiye's exports were 1 billion 23 million 98 thousand dollars and its imports were 954 million 812 thousand dollars. Thus, Türkiye-Canada foreign trade volume approached 2 billion dollars in 8 months.

In the January-August period, boilers, machines, mechanical devices and tools ranked first with 96 million 62 thousand dollars. This was followed by aluminum and aluminum goods with 73 million 841 thousand dollars, and edible fruits and nuts with 49 million 520 thousand dollars.

Especially if the FTA is signed, it is aimed to increase the trade volume to 7-8 billion dollars in the short term and to 10 billion dollars in the future with new collaborations.

MORE THAN 209 THOUSAND TOURISTS CAME IN THE 8 MONTHS OF THE YEAR

The number of visitors coming to Türkiye from Canada in 2025 was recorded as 321 thousand 271, an increase of 6.1 percent compared to the previous year. The number of tourists was 302 thousand 728 in 2024. In the January-August period of this year, the number of tourists from Canada increased by 2.9 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 209 thousand 176.

On the other hand, according to Statistics Canada data, Canada's direct investment stock in Türkiye is at the level of 3.3 billion Canadian dollars as of 2025. On the other hand, Türkiye's direct investment stock in Canada is 233 million Canadian dollars.