Turkish Foreign Minister visits Canada amid renewed push for defence ties

(Horizon Media / OTTAWA) — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand welcomed Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Canada on June 25 and 26, as Ottawa and Ankara look to deepen bilateral relations ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.

According to Global Affairs Canada, the two ministers were expected to discuss a strengthened partnership, regional security issues, and expanded economic cooperation in areas including energy, defence, aerospace and mining. As part of the visit, Anand and Fidan also toured the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario, highlighting Turkey’s interest in Canada’s civilian nuclear and energy sectors.

The visit comes as Canada continues to move closer to Ankara despite a deeply problematic record. Canada previously suspended and later cancelled military export permits to Turkey after its own review found credible evidence that Canadian drone technology exported to Turkey had been diverted to Azerbaijan and used during the 2020 war against Artsakh. Ottawa concluded at the time that the use of Canadian technology was not consistent with Canadian foreign policy or with end-use assurances provided by Turkey.

The renewed focus on defence cooperation is especially concerning for Armenian-Canadians, given Turkey’s longstanding denial of the Armenian Genocide, its direct support for Azerbaijan, and its repeated abuse of Canadian trust on arms export commitments. The Armenian National Committee of Canada has consistently warned Ottawa against normalizing defence ties with Ankara, arguing that Turkey has already demonstrated it cannot be treated as a reliable partner when Canadian military technology is involved.

While the Canadian government frames the relationship through the language of NATO cooperation and economic opportunity, the history of the arms embargo remains a stark reminder that engagement with Turkey carries serious moral, legal and security risks.