Canada and Turkey advance strategic partnership and trade talks

Canada and Turkey are advancing a strategic partnership focused on closer economic ties, including negotiations toward a free-trade agreement, during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Ankara. Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a joint statement that the countries are also seeking to ratify an air-transportation agreement that could enable more direct flights. The statement further committed them to strengthening people-to-people ties. The visit is the first dedicated bilateral trip to Turkey by a Canadian prime minister. The two leaders launched free-trade negotiations on July 7, during a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Global Affairs Canada says technical teams are now defining the proposed agreement’s scope, with a first negotiating round expected in November. The countries’ public statements have not detailed the commitments that would make up the planned strategic partnership upgrade. A person briefed on the matter said a separate joint declaration was expected to cover defence, energy, the economy, and social and diplomatic ties, with committees preparing action plans. Canadian and Turkish officials did not respond to requests for...