Türkiye, Canada formally launch free trade agreement talks

Türkiye and Canada have formally launched negotiations on a free trade agreement aimed at deepening their economic partnership, according to a joint statement issued on Tuesday.

The announcement came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7.

The statement said the two leaders instructed officials to formally begin talks on a comprehensive, modern and mutually beneficial free trade agreement.

In early June, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu issued a joint ministerial statement announcing the launch of exploratory discussions toward a comprehensive free trade agreement.

Türkiye and Canada are now moving to the next stage by opening formal negotiations, the statement said.

The agreement is expected to support economic growth, contribute to job creation, enhance competitiveness, strengthen global supply chains and expand economic cooperation between the two countries, it added.

Technical teams from both countries will work in the coming months to define the scope and objectives of the agreement 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 statement said.