Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to visit Turkey this month for talks with President Tayyip Erdogan, in what would be the first dedicated bilateral visit there by a Canadian leader. The meeting could address free-trade negotiations launched at a NATO summit in Ankara in July, along with energy and defense cooperation. Trade ministers from both countries agreed this week to accelerate the negotiations. The visit would advance Carney's effort to diversify Canada's trade beyond the United States after talks with Washington collapsed in August. Turkey is seeking new markets and investment for its defense industry, energy, infrastructure and mining sectors, while Canada is pursuing broader partnerships with non-U.S. economies. The planned visit comes as Western governments place less emphasis on Turkey's human-rights record, despite criticism of President Tayyip Erdogan's government over its treatment of the political opposition and LGBTQ+ community. Bilateral trade remains limited: Turkey represented less than 0.3% of Canada's merchandise trade in 2025, worth C$4.34 billion ($3.05 billion), compared with C$1 trillion in trade with the United States.