Canada Signs Turkey Pact as Carney Dismisses U.S. Election Meddling Claim

Canadian exporters and technology firms gain a new formal channel into Turkey's market after Ottawa signed a strategic partnership with Ankara during Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit this week. The agreement comes as Ottawa works to reduce reliance on the U.S. market, a push that has so far concentrated on Europe and the Indo-Pacific and has also included states with records of rights abuses, including Saudi Arabia.

Turkey's planned expansion of nuclear power sits at the center of the commercial discussion. Carney told reporters in Istanbul that there are "good chances" that Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRealis would be selected to build the two power plants Turkey is planning, part of Ankara's stated climate goals. Carney met with business leaders in Istanbul on Friday after political talks in Ankara on Thursday.

Critics of the deal point to a crackdown at home. Human rights groups have criticized President Recep Erdogan's government for operations this month that, according to those critics, silenced opposition voices, suppressed independent journalism and restricted marginalized groups. Carney, who has called Canada's approach "values-based realism," defended the partnership: "Engagement in those partnerships does not mean approval," he said, adding, "There are very few countries in this world that have the standards of Canada."

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand raised human rights concerns in meetings with her Turkish counterpart on Thursday, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. Asked whether he raised the issue directly with Erdogan, Carney declined to give specifics. "My approach on these issues is I have direct conversations with leaders," he said, adding that he finds those talks more effective when they are direct and open and not reported out in detail, but "we have raised these issues."

The election meddling allegation arrived Thursday, when the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet accusing Canadian leaders of interference ahead of the Nov. 3 vote. Carney rejected the claim Friday: "There is no merit to these claims, so I'll call it out that way." He added that Canada maintains a deep diplomatic presence in the United States with extensive contact with American companies, citizens and individuals, and that "as a country Canada is very, very careful to not be seen to interfere in the democratic process."

The U.S. midterm elections take place Nov. 3.