Canada eyes Turkey as a fellow mid-power ally in weapons development

ISTANBUL — Canada is seeking a rapid expansion of defense and industrial ties with Turkey as Ottawa looks for trusted middle-power partners amid shifting global security dynamics, Canadian Secretary of State for Defense Procurement Stephen Fuhr said during SAHA Expo 2026.

Speaking to Defense News during his first visit to Turkey, Fuhr described Ankara as a “trusted partner” and “valuable ally,” highlighting Turkish advances in drones, counter-drone systems, ammunition production and autonomous technologies as potential areas for future cooperation.

“The middle powers have to come together in a way they didn’t before,” said Fuhr, reflecting the Canadian political drive to establish new cooperation between the middle powers, as the United States steps back from its traditional role in the world.

“Individually we’re just not big enough, but collectively we are,” Fuhr said.

Alliances between middle powers are not always smooth. Between 2019 and January 2024, Canada imposed restrictions on arms sales to Turkey and cancelled a number of export permits, creating a de-facto weapons embargo. When asked about whether the embargo was politically worth it, Fuhr stressed that he was elected in 2025 and stated that Canada is focused on the future.

Fuhr noted that during his meetings in Turkey, officials on both sides had prioritized practical collaboration and strategic alignment instead of revisiting earlier disputes.

“Nobody’s raised any past information or anything that’s happened in the past,” he said. “Everyone is focused on responding to the moment and how we can work together moving forward.”

The Canadian official also pointed to upcoming high-level political engagement between the two countries, including planned visits by Prime Minister Mark Carney and current discussions surrounding a possible free trade agreement.

Ottawa does not have the luxury of wasting time to accelerate defense production and procurement. Central to Canada’s ambition to expand its defense industrial capacity is the newly accepted Defence Industrial Strategy and the creation of a new Defence Investment Agency.

“Our strategy is build, partner, buy,” Fuhr said. “If it’s urgent, we’ll probably have to go and buy it. If it’s something they can wait for, we’ll have to co-develop it.”

The minister stressed that Ottawa wants partnerships that help stimulate Canadian industry rather than relying solely on direct foreign procurement.

Fuhr said Turkey’s experience in developing an indigenous defense industrial base offered lessons for Ottawa, particularly in areas where Ankara has achieved rapid technological growth and supply-chain independence. He described Turkey as one of a small number of countries that have successfully developed a mature and largely independent defense industrial ecosystem, comparing Ankara’s progress to that of South Korea and France.

There are several sectors where Canada and Turkey could develop capabilities more rapidly. “Ammo production is one, drones, counter drones, those are pretty obvious places,” Fuhr said. He also suggested future cooperation could include co-development programs rather than simple off-the-shelf purchases, particularly in areas where Canada seeks faster capability growth without starting entirely from scratch.

Ottawa’s interest is not limited to procurement opportunities. Fuhr described Canada as a stable and reliable investment destination, highlighting the country’s financial system, investment climate and policies aimed at encouraging foreign direct investment.

The Canadian efforts in building a broader relationship with Turkey have already started to bear fruit. The Strategic and Unmanned Systems Research Center (SİSAM) of local Sefine Shipyard has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Canada-based Kraken Robotics during the Saha Expo 2026 here this month. As part of the agreement, Kraken will work with SİSAM to integrate the KATFISH towed synthetic aperture sonar system into its mission planning software and develop automatic target recognition capabilities.