Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting Türkiye between 21-24 October. The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office announced that Carney will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, and cooperation in the fields of trade, energy, mining and defense will be discussed during the contacts. According to Reuters, nuclear energy cooperation will also be on the agenda during the talks. It is expected that a working group will be established to evaluate the opportunities for Canada’s participation in new nuclear power plant projects in Türkiye.
THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED
Canadian engineering and nuclear technology company AtkinsRéalis signed a memorandum of understanding with Türkiye Nükleer Enerji AŞ (TÜNAŞ) on March 3, 2026. According to the company’s statement, the agreement covers the evaluation of the usability of Canada’s CANDU reactor technology in Türkiye.. The parties will work on technical suitability, licensing, financing, project development and domestic production opportunities. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said last March that Türkiye planned to build four reactors in Sinop and four reactors in Thrace; Canada announced that it was holding talks on possible cooperation with South Korea, China and Russia.
CANADA’S CANDU TECHNOLOGY IS ON THE AGENDA
CANDU, one of Canada’s main technologies in the field of nuclear energy, is based on a pressurized reactor design that uses heavy water. The development of the technology and its implementation in international projects is carried out by Candu Energy, part of AtkinsRéalis. The technical and economic suitability of CANDU technology will be evaluated for new power plants planned to be established in Türkiye. However, it has not yet been announced that Canada has been selected for any power plant project or that a construction contract has been signed.
NEW POWER PLANS FOR SINOP AND THRACE
Türkiye plans to establish new nuclear power plants in Sinop and Thrace after the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. In addition to Canada, South Korean Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Chinese State Power Investment Corporation are among the companies on the agenda within the scope of Türkiye’s new nuclear energy projects.. Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is being built by Russia’s Rosatom company.
TRADE AND ENERGY COOPERATION WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSED
Canadian Prime Minister’s Office stated that increasing bilateral trade and investments will also be discussed during Carney’s visit to Türkiye. According to Canadian government data, goods trade between the two countries reached 4.3 billion Canadian dollars in 2025. Following his contacts in Ankara, Carney is also scheduled to meet with business representatives in Istanbul.. The working group, which is expected to be established as a result of the negotiations in the field of nuclear energy, is expected to evaluate the applicability of CANDU technology in projects in Türkiye.
