Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Türkiye from Oct. 21 to 24 as the governments negotiate a free trade agreement, part of Ottawa's effort to diversify economic partnerships.
Anadolu Agency reported that, if the countries reach an agreement, they aim to raise bilateral trade first to $7 billion to $8 billion and later to $10 billion. The report gave no deadline for either target. The agreement remains under negotiation.
Carney and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the talks July 7 on the sidelines of NATO's Ankara summit. In a joint statement, the governments said closer economic cooperation could create jobs, help businesses compete and strengthen supply networks. They identified workers and businesses in both countries as potential beneficiaries.
The governments have described 2025 trade in different currencies. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in March that bilateral trade totaled $2.7 billion. Canada's trade consultation put two-way merchandise trade at more than C$4.3 billion, including approximately C$1.1 billion in Canadian exports and C$3.2 billion in imports from Türkiye.
Canada's consultation on a potential agreement closed in September. Global Affairs Canada lists the negotiations as ongoing and says it will publish a report summarizing the feedback. Under the July joint statement, technical teams are to prepare for a first negotiating round; no date for that round was given.
Carney's office described the upcoming trip as the first bilateral visit to Türkiye by a Canadian prime minister, following his attendance at the July summit. He is scheduled to meet Erdoğan in Ankara and Turkish business leaders and investors in Istanbul. His office expects the discussions to cover trade, energy, mining and defense, among other areas.
