The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met on 22 October in Ankara with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during a visit described as historic as it was the first by a leader of Canada to Turkey: a trip in which Ottawa seeks to expand its trade relations and reduce its dependence on the United States in the face of the trade war unleashed by Trump against its northern neighbour.
Cavalry units received Carney’s official vehicle on the street opposite the Presidential Complex in the Turkish capital and escorted it to the palace’s ceremonial entrance, where Erdoğan personally welcomed the Canadian leader at the main entrance as soon as he stepped out of the official vehicle. Once both leaders had taken their places on the ceremonial podium, a band played the national anthems of Turkey and Canada.
The grand official ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara featured flags and soldiers representing the 16 historic Turkish states, as well as a 21-gun salute. In keeping with tradition, after listening to the national anthems, Carney – accompanied by Erdoğan – greeted the honour guard of the Presidential Guard Regiment, saying in Turkish Merhaba asker (“Hello, soldiers”).
Subsequently, the two leaders introduced the members of their respective delegations, and at the gates of the presidential palace, Erdoğan and Carney shook hands in front of the flags of Turkey and Canada, on the steps of the building, and posed for the media.
Following the ceremony, Carney and Erdoğan took part in a bilateral meeting and in another meeting between their respective delegations. According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, both are due to appear at a joint press conference this afternoon.
The official ceremony was attended by Turkey’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan; the Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar; the Minister for Trade, Ömer Bolat; the Director of the National Intelligence Organisation, İbrahim Kalın; the Head of the Defence Industry, Haluk Görgün; the Chief of Staff to the Presidency, Hasan Doğan; the Director of Communications for the Presidency, Burhanettin Duran; and the Presidential Adviser on Foreign and Security Policy, Akif Çağatay Kılıç. Also present were the Turkish Ambassador to Ottawa, Can Dizdar, and the Governor of Ankara, Yakup Canbolat.
Canada is seeking new ties with Turkey amid trade tensions with the US.
The two leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration setting out the commitment of Ankara and Ottawa to strengthen bilateral cooperation in four areas, including defence and energy, at a time when Türkiye is also seeking to attract foreign investment for its defence industry, its nuclear energy projects and the mining sector.
The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, for its part, stated in an official communiqué that the aim of Carney’s visit to Turkey is “to position Canada as a key partner in trade and investment”. Indeed, during his several-day stay in the Eurasian country, the Canadian leader is scheduled to meet with prominent Turkish business leaders in Istanbul.
Carney is promoting a strategy to expand Canada’s international trade in order to protect the country’s economy from the trade war with the United States, driven by US President Donald Trump, who has imposed high tariffs on Canadian exports and has on several occasions questioned Canada’s sovereignty, even going so far as to refer to the country as the US’s “51st state”.
Although trade between Canada and Turkey is still relatively modest, its volume has increased by nearly 50% in the last five years alone to reach $3,09 billion, which nevertheless represents less than 0.3% of Canada’s total trade in goods. Indeed, the main aim of this visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his meeting with Erdoğan is to strengthen economic ties and cooperation with Ankara in order to reduce Canada’s dependence on the US market.
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
