|
Neubauer Artists LLC
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Mark Carney arrived in Ankara on October 22 to hold talks aimed at reaching a free trade agreement with Turkey. This bilateral visit, the first by a Canadian head of government to the country, comes at a time when the Turkish government is carrying out an unprecedented crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community and the media.
Prime Minister Carney’s three-day mission includes a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and talks with business leaders. For several months, Ottawa has been seeking to accelerate its rapprochement with Ankara, and nothing has been left to chance.
The Canadian diplomatic campaign began in March with a visit to Türkiye by Federal Foreign Minister Anita Anand. The Turkish Foreign Minister reciprocated by visiting Canada.
Prime Minister Carney subsequently held an official meeting with the Turkish president on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara in July of this year. This marks Mark Carney’s second trip to the Turkish capital in less than four months.
Once again, this economic mission reflects the Canadian government’s commitment to diversifying its trading partners and doubling the value of Canadian exports within 10 years with the goal of reducing Canada’s dependence on the United States.
Currently, Turkey is a relatively small trading partner for Canada, with trade valued at $4.3 billion annually, representing less than 0.3% of total Canadian trade.
However, Mark Carney’s visit has generated expectations. “Canada’s relationship with Turkey will be completely different after this trip,” said Mike Ward, president of the Canada-Turkey Trade Council.
At the current rate, Ward believes a free trade agreement between Canada and Türkiye is conceivable within two years.
Federal officials indicated that this trip could be an opportunity to make progress or, at least, to catch up on the status of the negotiations.
Canada is seeking alliances, particularly in the defense and aerospace technology sectors. ” We complement each other in this sector
,” Mike Ward emphasized, citing drones as an example—an area in which Canada is trying to catch up. ” Turkey controls approximately 70% of the global drone market
,” he noted.
However, it was precisely drones that caused the recent diplomatic chill between Ottawa and Ankara. In October 2020, Canada suspended its arms exports to Turkey after an investigation found that Canadian technology was used in the manufacture of Turkish drones employed by Azerbaijan in the conflict with Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Canadian embargo was lifted in 2024, in exchange for greater transparency from Turkey regarding the use and destination of Canadian components.
Currently, Canadian authorities say they are conducting a case-by-case analysis, noting that Turkey remains an important partner in the drone sector. The Foreign Minister is responsible for reviewing all potential exports. “But it’s an important, rapidly growing partnership
,” a senior official explained during a preparatory meeting for the economic mission.
Silence persists on sensitive issues
Prime Minister Carney arrives in Türkiye at a time when the Turkish government has unleashed an unprecedented wave of repression against the LGBTQ+ community.
Although homosexuality is not criminalized in Turkey, authorities act based on laws prohibiting obscenity. An operation called “My Family in Safety”
resulted in dozens of raids on bars, searches, and arrests.
Last week, police also raided a television channel that openly opposed President Erdoğan’s regime.
There is no guarantee that the Canadian prime minister will raise these issues with the Turkish president. When questioned repeatedly before Mark Carney’s departure for Turkey, representatives from the prime minister’s office reiterated that these topics are discussed regularly, though not necessarily included in official statements.
The Prime Minister does not discuss these private discussions publicly. And the value of private conversations lies precisely in the fact that they remain private
, Carney’s entourage insisted.
According to former Canadian ambassador Ferry de Kerckhove, if Prime Minister Carney addresses these issues, he will have to choose his words carefully. I think Mr. Carney will have to tread very carefully on this matter, because Erdoğan does not consider himself a dictator, even though the rest of the world sees him as one
.
We live in a time when dictators are returning to power and good democrats are constantly holding their noses [at the stench].A quote from Ferry de Kerckhove, former Canadian ambassador.
Kerckhove believes this also applies to the United States. Given the current state of the world, I too hold my nose when it comes to Donald Trump. In other words, I think we’ve all lost our sense of smell a bit, considering what’s happening in the neighboring country
, she explained.
Source: RC / V. Gamache
Adaptation: RCU / R. Valencia
