Thank you, Mr. President, for your patience. Thank you for your invitation. Thank you for the warm welcome that you and the Turkish people have extended me and my delegation and for the partnership which we are launching today.

Before I touch on the details of that partnership, just a few words of context. Earlier today, I paid my respects at Anıtkabir, where Türkiye honours the founder of this republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the monument is surrounded by a peace park. And in the years following the Second World War, nations from around the world, including Canada, sent trees to grow side by side.

And today, that park stands as a living symbol of friendship between nations, a shared hope for peace. And it reminds us that the strongest partnerships take root over time, and they are nourished by mutual respect, by steady commitment, and by common purpose. And today, that purpose matters more than ever. 

We are in the midst of a rupture. The old order is not coming back. The institutions that have ensured our security and prosperity for decades are under threat. In the face of this new reality, Canada is building its strength at home so it can take better control of its future – its economy, its energy, its security, and its way of life.

But no country, whatever it's blessed with, no country builds strength alone. The most resilient countries bring together complementary strengths with trusted partners. Our goal is not self-sufficiency, it is collective resilience. And that's why Canada is building deeper partnerships with reliable partners that create new opportunities for us both. And in Türkiye, we have an exceptional partner. One of the world's most dynamic economies, a market of more than 85 million people sitting at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, a network already of 24 free trade agreements, NATO's second largest standing military and one of the world's most important and innovative defence industries. In recent years, the past five years, trade between our two countries has grown by 50%. But as the president emphasized to me, and I wholeheartedly agreed, that has barely begun to tap the potential. When we met here in July for the NATO summit, we launched or we committed to launch, negotiations towards a free trade agreement and signed a new framework for defence cooperation. And today we are going further by launching our strategic partnership, backed by a three-year action plan. That plan rests on four pillars. First, trade and investment. Secondly, defence and security. Third, energy. And fourth people to people ties. 

So, let me begin with trade. Next month, our negotiators will sit down here in Ankara for the first round of free trade talks. Our objectives are clear. More trade between businesses to build more prosperity between our peoples. By lowering cost, cutting barriers and creating greater certainty, we’ll open new doors both for companies and investors in both of our countries. 

We are also bringing our businesses closer together to create new trade and investment opportunities. And tomorrow, Export Development Canada and Türk Eximbank are on track to sign a new agreement to help Canadian and Turkish companies work together on projects in third countries, particularly in the energy, infrastructure, transportation, mining, and critical minerals sectors. And tomorrow, in Istanbul, I will meet with Turkish business leaders and investors. And next year, Minister Sidhu will lead a Canadian trade mission in Türkiye to help Canadian businesses seize these opportunities.

Now, in a more dangerous, divided world, allies must be able to rely on each other for equipment and capabilities that keep us safe. And here to our strengths are complementary. Today's new Agreement on Defence Industry Partnership will connect Canadian and Turkish companies to work together, creating good jobs at home, export opportunities from, greater security for our citizens, and contributing to a stronger NATO alliance. And that security cooperation goes deeper, because Türkiye’s influence extends broadly. Major G20 economy, a key NATO ally, is playing central roles in efforts to resolve some of the world's most difficult conflicts. From Gaza to Ukraine to Iran, Middle East, more broadly and beyond.

True security also depends on energy. Canada is on its way to becoming an energy superpower. Türkiye’s economy is booming and it needs a secure and reliable energy supply. We have a lot to offer: from LNG to civilian nuclear technology, clean energy, and critical minerals, which will be central to the economy of the future. Today, our energy ministers agreed to work together in all of these areas. Mr. President, I would like to acknowledge your leadership at COP31, which will take an ambitious yet pragmatic approach to highlighting significant developments in clean energy and waste reduction. You can count on Canada as a partner to strengthen global climate ambition and action.

In the end, every partnership comes down to people. And so today we're formalizing an air transport agreement to increase passenger flights from 12 a week to 21 with no limit on cargo flights. I think our discussion suggested that we can go even further than that if we, and we will. This will mean easier, more affordable travel for families visiting loved ones, for students and tourists, exploring new worlds and for business people seeking new markets. And of course, holding together the relationship is trust and regular interaction. More frequent meetings between our ministers, including our foreign ministers, meeting consistently as part of the strategic dialogs. Trade that opens new markets, defence industries that keep our citizens safe, energy that powers our economies, and people to bring it all together. That's what today is about. 

Now, to finish where I started with context, at the end of one world order, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk built a secure, sovereign nation guided by his creed, “Peace at home, peace in the world”. And in this time of rupture, Canada honors that example: strength at home, partnership abroad. Mr. President, more than 70 years ago, Canada sent maple trees to grow well beside and in Anıtkabir as a gesture of peace and friendship between our nations. Today, those trees stand amongst 48,000 others from over 25 nations. Today, we planted the seeds of something new, a strategic partnership that will create new opportunities for our workers and our businesses and greater security and prosperity for both our peoples. And with our efforts, I believe, for other peoples in this region and more broadly. With care and commitment, that partnership will grow for generations to come.

Yurtta sulh, cihanda sulh.

Thank you very much.