Türkiye 'incredibly important' NATO ally for Canada, says Carney

OTTAWA

Prime Minister Mark Carney attends the Governor General Designate Louise Arbour installation in Ottawa on June 8, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has described Türkiye as an “incredibly important” NATO ally and a major regional power, saying Ottawa is working to deepen ties with Ankara.

Speaking to reporters in Toronto, Carney pointed to Türkiye’s role across a wide region stretching from the Balkans to the Middle East and the Caucasus.

Türkiye is “one of the most important strategic partners or powers in that region,” he said.

Carney said Canada had already begun deepening its relationship with Türkiye, while noting that the process was still at an early stage.

“We’re in a process of scoping out the deepening of that relationship,” he said.

Carney also confirmed that he would travel to Türkiye for next month’s NATO summit in Ankara and said he would “likely again” visit the country later this year.

The 2026 NATO summit is scheduled to be held in Ankara on July 7-8.