A memorandum between Turk Eximbank and Export Development Canada is meant to help firms from both countries pursue overseas projects, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Friday.
Bolat said the memorandum would deepen export-credit ties and help companies develop projects abroad, with an emphasis on Africa, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. Bolat and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand met in Istanbul before the memorandum was signed.
Bolat said he and Anand spoke about closer trade and economic ties and Türkiye-Canada free trade agreement negotiations. He said the first round is planned for the week of Nov. 30, 2026.
The two countries announced plans to negotiate a trade agreement in July, when Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan set the process in motion. A joint statement at the time cited potential job creation, stronger business competitiveness and more resilient supply networks as benefits of closer economic cooperation.
The memorandum’s intended beneficiaries are companies in both countries seeking to develop projects abroad. The next scheduled step is the opening round of free trade negotiations during the week starting Nov. 30, 2026.
