Türkiye, Canada aim for strategic partnership ahead of NATO summit

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday that Ankara and Ottawa are working to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic level, describing years of underutilized cooperation potential between the NATO allies. His remarks came during a joint news conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in Ottawa, where both ministers outlined plans to unlock collaboration across defense, energy and trade ahead of a landmark alliance summit in Ankara.

Speaking alongside Anand following their visit to the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Toronto, Fidan highlighted preliminary discussions toward a free trade agreement and deeper defense industry ties. "There are major areas of cooperation between Türkiye and Canada that have not been fully realized for years," he said, noting that both sides are examining opportunities in nuclear energy — including small modular reactors — as well as critical minerals and liquefied natural gas.

NATO summit preparations

Prime Minister Mark Carney, Anand and Defense Minister David McGuinty will travel to Ankara for the NATO summit in two weeks, with Carney also expected to make a separate official visit to Türkiye shortly thereafter. "This summit will truly be a historic one because international geopolitical conditions have reached a point where decisions taken by NATO member states will be even more decisive during this period," Fidan said, adding that the meeting will address alliance strategic priorities and defense readiness.

Regional security challenges

On regional security, Fidan welcomed the recent US-Iran ceasefire expansion to Lebanon while warning that Israel must not be allowed to sabotage the diplomatic process. "We are not taking our eyes off Gaza," he said, accusing Israel of obstructing humanitarian aid and reiterating Ankara's readiness to host renewed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.