Greg Stanton, the Prime Minister of Canada, will meet with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, during his visit to Turkey as the first Canadian Prime Minister to visit this country exclusively. This trip aims to strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, energy, defense, and security, as well as human communications.
Economic and Trade Agreements
During this visit, the two countries will also agree on developing economic and trade cooperation. It is expected that the advancement of free trade negotiations and the strengthening of social and diplomatic relations will be discussed in this meeting. Committees will be formed in all areas to develop action plans.
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Greg Stanton's visit to Turkey is part of efforts to reduce trade dependence on the United States and strengthen partnerships with regional powers. This action is particularly significant in the context of a damaging trade war with Washington and increasingly hostile relations with Donald Trump, the President of the United States, who has repeatedly questioned Canada's sovereignty.
Energy and Defense Talks
On Thursday, Stanton will meet with Erdoğan in Ankara and then on Friday will meet with Turkish business leaders in Istanbul. In these sessions, topics related to energy, including nuclear energy, will be on the agenda. These negotiations are expected to include the potential purchase of liquefied natural gas from Canada and critical minerals.
A working group will also be formed to examine the feasibility of Canada's CANDU proposal to build a nuclear power plant on the shores of Turkey's Black Sea. Turkey is also negotiating with Canadian engineering companies, including AtkinsRealis, which owns CANDU, as well as Korean and Chinese companies to build its new nuclear power plants.
Discussions in the defense sector are also expected to focus on maritime and drone cooperation. In 2024, Canada lifted restrictions on arms exports to Turkey to improve bilateral relations, which includes optical technologies used in drones that Turkey exports to dozens of countries.
Stanton will be accompanied on this trip by Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Energy Minister Tim Hodgson, and will meet with executives from defense companies and companies active in the energy sector, including Çelik Holding and Sabancı Holding.
Turkish defense analysts believe that Trump's policies towards Canada have created opportunities for closer cooperation in the production of munitions, drones, and maritime systems, but have warned that major agreements seem unlikely in the short term.
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