Türkiye and Canada have formally launched negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement, marking a new phase in bilateral economic ties after leaders of the two countries agreed to deepen trade cooperation during the NATO summit in Ankara.
The decision followed a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the NATO summit on Tuesday.
According to a joint statement, the two leaders instructed their officials to begin formal negotiations on a "comprehensive, modern and mutually beneficial" free trade agreement.
The talks build on exploratory discussions announced in early June by Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, who agreed to pursue a broad-based trade pact.
With the launch of formal negotiations, both countries are now moving to the next stage of the process.
Focus on growth and supply chains
The proposed agreement is expected to support economic growth, create jobs, improve competitiveness and strengthen global supply chains while expanding commercial cooperation between Türkiye and Canada.
Technical teams from both countries will begin work in the coming months to define the agreement's scope and objectives and prepare for the first round of negotiations.
"Both governments look forward to working together to advance a high-quality agreement that strengthens the Canada–Türkiye partnership and creates new opportunities for prosperity for businesses, workers and people in both countries," the joint statement said.
