Canadian PM Carney: Turkey Is a Modern European Country and Also an Asian One
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described Turkey as a deeply rooted yet extremely modern country at a crossroads. The two countries upgraded their relations to a "strategic partnership".
· 2 min read
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described Turkey as a modern European country during his visit. Carney said Turkey is also an Asian country and sits at a crossroads.
It has a very, very deep-rooted history and is at the same time extremely modern. Its food is very good as well. There are many reasons to build a relationship.
Mark Carney
Carney also said Turkey has a good football team. He said he realized this from the noises coming through his window last night as he tried to sleep, adding that the team drew with Palace, so it perhaps was not one of their best nights.
Strategic partnership decision
Carney was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday. The two leaders announced that relations were upgraded to a "strategic partnership" covering areas such as trade, energy and people-to-people ties. Carney is said to be the first Canadian leader to make an official prime-ministerial visit to Turkey. The two NATO members also agreed to deepen their defense relationship.
Erdoğan announced that free trade agreement negotiations will begin before the end of 2026. He said they hope to raise trade volume, currently around $3 billion, to $5 billion and then $10 billion, and that direct flights between the two countries will be approximately doubled.
We've planted the seeds of something new: a strategic partnership that will create new opportunities for our workers and businesses, and greater security and prosperity for both of our peoples.
Mark Carney
Carney is expected to meet Turkish business leaders in Istanbul on Friday. The visit comes as Canada seeks to broaden its trade relationships beyond the United States; nearly 70% of Canadian exports go to the US.
Comments
Sign in to comment.