Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan Elevates Turkey‑Canada Ties During Canada Visit

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a two‑day official visit to Canada, meeting Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand in Ottawa and Toronto. The ministers announced that the two countries will move their relationship to a “strategic level,” citing shared interests in trade, defence, energy and security.

Both sides said they are working intensively on a Turkey‑Canada Free Trade Agreement and highlighted cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. Fidan and Anand toured the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, where Canada’s small‑modular‑reactor technology was showcased, and Canada expressed formal interest in partnering with Turkey on nuclear power projects.

Defence industry collaboration was also underscored, with Fidan noting that the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara (July 7‑8) will feature a dedicated defence‑industry agenda and will be a historic gathering for the alliance. Humanitarian assistance to Venezuela after the recent earthquake was mentioned, and both ministers reaffirmed the importance of Turkey’s role in regional diplomatic efforts.

The visit concluded with commitments to sustain high‑level dialogue, extend visa and work‑permit arrangements, and advance joint projects across the identified sectors.