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.”

Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, speaks during an ice breaker steel cutting ceremony at Helsinki Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, on Aug. 20, 2025. (Markku Ulander/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.

伊斯坦布尔——加拿大国防采购国务大臣斯蒂芬·富尔在2026年SAHA博览会上表示，随着全球安全格局的变化，渥太华正在寻求值得信赖的中等强国伙伴，加拿大正寻求迅速扩大与土耳其的国防和工业联系。

福尔在首次访问土耳其期间接受《防务新闻》采访时，将安卡拉描述为“值得信赖的伙伴”和“宝贵的盟友”，并强调土耳其在无人机、反无人机系统、弹药生产和自主技术方面的进步是未来合作的潜在领域。

“中等强国必须以他们以前从未有过的方式走到一起，”福尔说道，这反映了加拿大在中等强国之间建立新合作关系的政治动力，因为美国正在逐步退出其在世界上的传统角色。

“单就我们个人而言，我们的规模还不够大，但作为一个整体，我们的规模就足够大了，”福尔说道。

中等强国之间的联盟并非总是一帆风顺。2019年至2024年1月期间，加拿大对土耳其实施了武器销售限制，并取消了多项出口许可证，实际上形成了武器禁运。当被问及这项禁运在政治上是否值得时，福尔强调他是在2025年当选的，并表示加拿大着眼于未来。

福尔指出，在他访问土耳其期间，双方官员优先考虑务实合作和战略协调，而不是重提以前的争端。

他说：“没有人提及过去发生过的事情或任何过往的信息。大家都专注于应对眼下的情况，以及我们如何才能携手共进。”

2025年8月20日，加拿大国防采购国务秘书斯蒂芬·富尔在芬兰赫尔辛基赫尔辛基造船厂举行的破冰船钢材切割仪式上发表讲话。（图片来源：Markku Ulander/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images）

这位加拿大官员还指出，两国即将进行高层政治接触，包括总理马克·卡尼计划访问加拿大，以及目前正在进行的关于可能达成的自由贸易协定的讨论。

渥太华没有时间浪费，必须加快国防生产和采购。加拿大扩大国防工业产能的雄心壮志的核心在于新近通过的《国防工业战略》和新成立的国防投资局。

“我们的策略是自主开发、合作开发、收购，”福尔说。“如果情况紧急，我们可能就得直接收购。如果他们可以等待，我们就得合作开发。”

部长强调，渥太华希望建立有助于刺激加拿大产业发展的伙伴关系，而不是仅仅依赖直接的外国采购。

福尔表示，土耳其在发展本土国防工业基础方面的经验对渥太华具有借鉴意义，尤其是在安卡拉已实现快速技术增长和供应链独立性的领域。他指出，土耳其是少数几个成功建立成熟且基本独立的国防工业生态系统的国家之一，并将安卡拉的发展历程与韩国和法国相提并论。

加拿大和土耳其可以在多个领域更快地发展能力。“弹药生产、无人机、反无人机等等，这些都是显而易见的领域，”福尔说道。他还建议，未来的合作可以包括联合研发项目，而不是简单的现成采购，尤其是在加拿大希望在无需从零开始的情况下更快地提升能力的领域。

渥太华的兴趣不仅限于采购机会。福尔称加拿大是一个稳定可靠的投资目的地，并着重强调了加拿大的金融体系、投资环境以及旨在鼓励外国直接投资的政策。

加拿大为加强与土耳其的关系所做的努力已初见成效。本月在萨哈举行的2026年国际海事展览会（Saha Expo 2026）期间，土耳其塞菲内造船厂的战略与无人系统研究中心（SİSAM）与加拿大克拉肯机器人公司签署了一份谅解备忘录（MoU）。根据协议，克拉肯将与SİSAM合作，将KATFISH拖曳式合成孔径声呐系统集成到其任务规划软件中，并开发自动目标识别功能。

杰姆·德夫里姆·亚伊拉利是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。他热衷于拍摄军舰，并对海军和国防议题充满热情。他出生于法国巴黎，现居土耳其伊斯坦布尔。他已婚，育有一子。