Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Meets Turkish President Erdogan to Strengthen Strategic Partnership

New Delhi, October 23 (Daily Kiran) : Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his inaugural official visit to Turkey. The discussions focused on various sectors, including energy, trade, transportation, and defense.

Erdogan shared details of the meeting on the social media platform X, expressing his pleasure in hosting Carney. He stated, “It brings me great joy to welcome my dear friend, Prime Minister Mark Carney, on this historically significant visit to Turkey.”

The Turkish President announced that they had decided to elevate the relationship between Turkey and Canada to the level of a strategic partnership. Under this agreement, both nations plan to launch new projects in energy, trade, transportation, and defense in the near future. They also agreed to initiate negotiations for a free trade agreement before the end of the year to enhance trade and investment.

Erdogan emphasized the goal of increasing bilateral trade, which currently hovers around $3 billion, to $5 billion and eventually to $10 billion. He noted that they explored opportunities for joint investments in third countries, highlighting significant potential for cooperation across regions from Africa to Latin America and Central Asia to the Far East.

He further mentioned the importance of collaboration in the defense industry, referencing recent agreements signed during the NATO summit held in Ankara. Erdogan pointed out that a joint declaration on energy cooperation between their ministries indicates the vast opportunities in this sector, including critical areas like nuclear energy.

In addition to economic discussions, they reviewed recent developments on regional issues, including Gaza, Ukraine, and the Gulf region. Erdogan remarked that the sanctions imposed by Canada and other allied nations against illegal settlements are a step in the right direction to curb violations by the Israeli government.

He expressed hope that Canada would continue to maintain this stance to promote peace and stability in the region.