Carney Turkey Visit: A First for a Canadian PM

The Carney Turkey visit is officially underway, and it is a first: Prime Minister Mark Carney landed in Ankara on Thursday for the first-ever official bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey, according to The Canadian Press. It is a three-day trip with one big goal: new friends and new markets.

What is on the schedule

Carney flew overnight and was set to lay a wreath at the mausoleum of Turkish founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk shortly after arriving. Later in the day he meets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace, which kicks off the official part of the trip.

From there he leaves Ankara in the evening for Istanbul. On Friday he is set to meet Turkish business leaders, and then he heads home to Canada on Saturday. Senior government officials who briefed reporters before the trip said Canada wants closer political and economic ties with Turkey.

The Carney Turkey visit also has a bit of déjà vu. Carney was in Ankara in July for the NATO summit, and the two countries used that moment to launch free trade talks earlier this year, as the Canadian Press notes.

The money behind the meeting

Canada and Turkey already do about four billion dollars in trade every year. That is real money, but it is small next to the trade Canada does with its giant southern neighbour, which is exactly why Ottawa is looking for more partners.

Talks are expected to focus on trade, and the free trade pact is the headline item. Reporting from Politico says the stop adds Turkey to a list of countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, that Carney is working to warm relations with.

Energy cooperation is also part of the pitch, according to a summary of the trip published through Ground News from SooToday. Think of it as Canada shopping for customers and partners in as many places as it can.

Why Canada is diversifying right now

The timing is not an accident. Just a day earlier, Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a package to shield steel and auto workers from United States tariffs, according to Euronews. Carney said the tariffs make both countries' industries weaker and reduce choice for families.

The Globe and Mail also reports that Canada and the European Union are preparing to deepen ties on trade and defence, with plans to give Canada associate-member status as both sides try to reduce their reliance on the United States. Put it together and the pattern is clear: Canada is building a web of partners.

The tariff backdrop in numbers

Carney said Canadian auto exports to the United States have fallen by more than ten percent, while American exports to Canada have dropped by more than twenty percent, according to the Associated Press. In other words, the trade war is hurting both sides of the border.

Euronews puts the package at six point two billion dollars, while the Globe and Mail describes nearly nine billion dollars in support, including funding for a road to the Ring of Fire mining region. Outlets count differently, so check the fine print. Either way, the Carney Turkey visit lands right after it.

The takeaway is simple. When your biggest customer slaps on tariffs, you call everyone else. Turkey is a large economy with a young population, a strategic spot between Europe and Asia, and a seat in NATO alongside Canada, which makes it a natural next call.

There is also a security angle. Both countries sit in the same defence alliance, and leaders rarely talk only about trade when they meet in person. Expect conversations about energy, supply chains and regional stability to run alongside the free trade talks.

What to watch next

Watch for whether Friday's business meetings in Istanbul produce actual deals, and whether the free trade talks get a timeline. A handshake photo is nice, but companies sign contracts, not summits.

For young Canadians, this is more than diplomacy. Trade deals shape which jobs exist in steel, tech, energy and farming, and which products land on shelves. If you want more on how Ottawa is handling the world, keep an eye on our Canada coverage.

The bottom line: a Canadian prime minister has never made an official bilateral trip to Turkey before, and now one has. Whether the Carney Turkey visit turns into a real trade win is the story to follow over the next two days.