Türkiye and Canada have agreed to strengthen defense industry cooperation through a new partnership agreement and explore additional areas of cooperation as the two countries launched a strategic partnership, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ankara, Erdogan said the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on defense industry cooperation earlier that day following bilateral discussions at the presidential complex.
Erdogan said the two NATO allies are seeking to advance cooperation through new initiatives spanning defense, energy, trade and transportation, signaling a new phase in bilateral relations.
The Turkish president noted that both sides acknowledge the strategic importance of defense industry collaboration and expressed expectations that the Canadian-led Defense, Security and Resilience Bank, currently being established to support allied defense industries, would help facilitate joint projects.
Erdoğan described the elevation of Türkiye-Canada relations to a strategic partnership as a key outcome of Carney’s visit, noting that both countries had adopted an action plan to translate the agreement into tangible projects.
Erdoğan added that Türkiye and Canada were maintaining close engagement on nuclear energy, with potential cooperation spanning mining, liquefied natural gas (LNG), critical minerals, and nuclear power. He also highlighted a joint declaration on energy cooperation adopted by the two countries’ energy ministries, which identified opportunities to deepen collaboration, particularly in the nuclear energy sector.
In addition to strengthening defense cooperation, Türkiye and Canada agreed to launch negotiations on a free trade agreement before the end of 2026.
The two countries also committed to making greater use of existing mechanisms, including the Joint Economic and Trade Committee, to advance economic cooperation across a broad range of areas. Erdogan said Türkiye will host the committee’s next meeting in 2027, with participation from the private sectors of both countries. The leaders also discussed opportunities for joint investments in third-country markets, including projects in Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and the Far East.
A memorandum of understanding between Turkish Eximbank and Export Development Canada is scheduled to be signed on Friday. Erdogan said he expects the agreement to facilitate joint investment projects in third countries. He also noted that a revised air transport agreement between the two nations is expected to nearly double the number of direct flights linking Türkiye and Canada.
Erdogan affirmed the two countries aim to raise bilateral trade from its current level of approximately $3 billion to an initial target of $5 billion and ultimately to $10 billion through planned cooperation and economic initiatives.
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