Erdogan welcomes Canadas prime minister and sets trade targets
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at an official ceremony at the Beshtepe Complex in Ankara. This is the Canadian prime minister’s first bilateral visit to Turkey.
In a message on social media, the Canadian prime minister announced that the purpose of his visit to Ankara is to advance economic cooperation between Turkey and Canada. He stressed that the aim of the visit is to increase access to the Turkish market, which has a population of more than 85 million, and to create new economic opportunities for workers and businesses in both countries. The Canadian prime minister is expected to also visit Istanbul later in his trip.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Carney after their bilateral meeting, the Turkish president said: “With the steps we will take, we hope to increase our trade volume, which is currently around 3 billion dollars, first to 5 billion dollars and then to 10 billion dollars.” Erdogan added that Ankara’s goal is to implement new projects with Canada in the fields of energy, trade, transportation and the defense industry in the period ahead, and that the two sides have decided to start negotiations on a free trade agreement before the end of the year.
Erdogan also announced that on his first visit to Canada he will bring together businesspeople from the two countries, and that the necessary steps will be taken accordingly. Referring to regional and international developments, he expressed hope that diplomatic efforts will pave the way for lasting peace both in Ukraine and in the Persian Gulf. The Turkish president also described Canada’s sanctions on settlements as very appropriate for preventing violations by the Israeli government.
