Carney to travel to Turkey, where NATO allies will focus on managing Trump

Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Ankara for the annual NATO summit, the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey since 2015. This trip marks the initial leg of a week-long Middle East tour, which includes a stop in Saudi Arabia to bolster trade and investment ties.

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This year’s meeting is, once again, primarily about managing the U.S. and keeping President Trump committed to the alliance.

The NATO summit, scheduled for July 7-8, is a scaled-down event, featuring only a dinner and one session for all member states. This format is a deliberate effort to "try avoid any drama," according to former Canadian ambassador to NATO, Kerry Buck. She noted that the summit's primary focus is "managing the U.S. and keeping President Trump committed to the alliance."

Buck suggested that Turkey hosting the summit might be beneficial, as Trump "likes, almost, autocrats better than allies," potentially reducing his incentive to disrupt the proceedings. The summit follows the recent G7 meeting in France, which proceeded smoothly, and allies hope for a similar outcome as they address ambitions for increased military spending. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged member states to present "credible" plans to meet the alliance's commitment to spend five percent of national GDP on defense by 2035.

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Because he likes, almost, autocrats better than allies, the fact that it’s being hosted by Turkey is not a bad thing. He’s got less of an incentive to explode the thing.

Canadian government officials indicated that Carney will participate in discussions on defense sector financing and highlight Canada's progress in increasing its defense spending. While Carney's schedule of bilateral meetings was still being finalized, the trip will also emphasize Canada's relationship with Turkey, a NATO ally. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has previously aligned with Canada's view that Europe should enhance the military alliance without duplicating NATO's efforts.

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