Innovative & Creative Approach
CTBC board directors are leading professionals in their relative sectors.
The CTBC is a Canadian chartered, not-for-profit organization formed in 2001 in recognition of the importance of Turkey as a trading and investment partner for Canada.
We are dedicated to a variety of activities to enhance business and trade relations between Canada and Turkey. The membership provides members with preferred access to our events, ensures that members are kept aware of and can influence developments, and provides opportunities for raising the corporate profile both in Canada and in Turkey.https://app.contentful.com/spaces/844mwpnlsnai/entries/76CFEEWFX6fKuCO4jIdnHu
Watch the video below to learn the benefits of investing in Canada
Watch the video below to learn the benefits of investing in Turkey
September 27, 2023 | Toronto
The CTBC-hosted Business Forum brought together Canadian and Turkish firms involved in the automotive parts value chain, including in related advanced manufacturing sectors. Attended by over 200 persons this one-day event featured keynote speakers Flavio Volpe, President, Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA) and Raed Kadri, Head, Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network who spoke about past achievements and the vast potential of the automotive sector in Canada/Ontario. In addition to panels on such topics as: critical minerals essential for this quickly evolving industry, emerging technologies & cybersecurity challenges faced by advanced manufacturers, and available investment incentives in both Türkiye and Ontario, the Business Forum also highlighted Canadian Success Stories in the Turkish automotive sector from Magna International and Pontosense.
The following key documents are accessible online:
FEBRUARY 18, 2023
According to a media release issued by Prime Minister Trudeau’s office, the Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the people of Türkiye for the loss of lives. He also noted that his thoughts are with those injured and displaced as a result of the February 6, 2023, earthquake.
“The Prime Minister offered Canada’s steadfast support in the recovery efforts and noted Canada’s commitment to provide airlift for the transport of NATO humanitarian supplies to Türkiye. Prime Minister Trudeau informed the President that the Canadian Armed Forces also stand ready to provide any additional support to Turkish authorities, if required.
President Erdoğan thanked Prime Minister Trudeau for Canada’s assistance to date, including $20 million in humanitarian assistance and a significant contribution of supplies to support the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) operations in Türkiye, which is being used to respond rapidly to urgent needs. Prime Minister Trudeau indicated more financial assistance from Canada and Canadians would follow the previously announced funds. President Erdoğan thanked the Prime Minister for the generosity of Canadian support.
Prime Minister Trudeau and President Erdoğan reaffirmed their commitment to the cooperation between Canada and Türkiye as long-standing NATO Allies and strong bilateral partners.”
The media release may be accessed here.
February 2023
Our heartfelt condolences to those impacted by the catastrophic earthquakes that have caused so much loss of life and suffering in Türkiye and Syria. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrible disaster. We are also praying for the health and safety of the courageous rescue crews working around the clock to find and free survivors trapped in the rubble.
Funding is desperately needed to provide for the thousands of persons displaced due to the earthquakes. From February 6 to 22, the Government of Canada will match donations to the Canadian Red Cross up to a maximum of $10 million. This link provides additional information on that program. The International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF) has pledged that every dollar donated online will be doubled up to $40,000, courtesy of the generosity of GA Paper International Inc.
A Toronto Star article identifies a number of organizations that Canadians can donate to in order to help relief efforts in the area. That article may be accessed here.
February 2023
All across Canada, people are contributing both money and much needed items for earthquake victims in Türkiye. This short video shows a very busy collection operation in Toronto.
Thank you to everyone for your generous support, financial and otherwise, for the victims of this terrible catastrophe.
November 12, 2022
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service in Türkiye and the Mining Suppliers Trade Association Canada (MSTA) organized a webinar to help Canadian Mining Suppliers better understand the growing business opportunities in Türkiye. The progam included presentations by two keynote speakers: Mehmet Yılmaz, Chairman of the Board for Tüprag Metal Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.Ş. and Serhat Demirel, Principal Operations Manager, Türkiye for WSP-Golder. A recording of the webinar may be accessed here.
November 11, 2022
The article revisits the actions of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment during the Gallipoli campaign of World War I. Amongst other things, it notes that “After some five months of carnage, 1000 Newfoundlanders had their baptism by fire when they landed at Gallipoli to join already present allied forces in September of 1915. The first battle the Royal Newfoundland Regiment fought in its history saw them lose some 40 soldiers. After nearly a year of intense, brutal, and often hand-to-hand fighting, Gallipoli was evacuated. The Ottomans had done what Britain thought was impossible and defeated the western powers.”
August 31, 2022 | Online
In this article, Dr. Sohail Gandhi, past President of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), laments the "perpetual state of crisis" of the healthcare system in Canada and points to the increase in medical tourism, especially in Turkey, as an increasingly attractive option for Canadians. According to Dr. Gandhi, "Turkey is making a name for itself as a medical tourism centre for Europeans. In the bigger Turkish cities, private hospitals offer services in English." He notes that Turkey's popularity stems from "a combination of Turkey’s private hospitals having invested heavily in medical infrastructure over the years and the fact that Turkey has beautiful and scenic sites so you can have a mini-vacation at the same time. Add to that that Turkey has aligned its health care to meet European Union (EU) standards (particularly with Medical Devices and Implants) and you have the potential for the highest quality health care at a much lower cost."
February 2022
Canada Turkey Business Council member Eldorado Gold is celebrating 35 years of operation in Turkey through its subsidiary Tüprag Metal.
Established in 1986, Tüprag Metal has explored hundreds of licenced sites and made important discoveries. Today, the company operates two significant gold mines in Turkey, including Europe's largest at Kışladağ, which employs 1,500 people and produces 12.5 tons of gold per year. In all it's operations, Tüprag has always held to its core commitment of “human and environment first, then mining.”
A video telling the story of Tüprag's 35 years is available here
More information on Tüprag Metal can be viewed at the company's website here
February 2022 | Ankara
CTBC Executive Director, Mike Ward delivered a keynote address at the MMG Sustainable Mining and Environment Workshop, hosted by the Architects and Engineers Group (MMG) in Ankara on February 8-9, 2022.
The full text of Mr. Ward's remarks can be read here
February 2022 | Online
On February 15, 2022, His Excellency Kerim Uras, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Canada was hosted by the NATO Association of Canada for a discussion on Canada-Turkey relations, security interests, transatlantic relations and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. CTBC Executive Director Mike Ward served as host of the event.
The full recording of the event can be viewed below:
December 2021
On November 10, CTBC Executive Director Mike Ward appeared on Turkish Voice of Canada for an interview with TVoC founder and award-winning journalist İrep Çakır. In his remarks, Mike made a strong case for a more robust Canadian business presence in Turkey, highlighting:
Watch the interview here.
About Turkish Voice of Canada:
Turkish Voice of Canada is a Turkish-language news service based in Toronto founded by award-winning Turkish journalist İrep Çakır. TVC is Canada’s leading Turkish news and information platform, covering a variety of news and topics including interviews, business news, arts and culture, and reporting on the Turkish experience in Canada. Turkish Voice of Canada is available to provide news agency services in Canada.
The Turkish Voice of Canada Homepage can be found here.
Turkish Voice of Canada can be found on YouTube here.
June 2021
Dear Members,
On May 4th Gar Knutson, as Chair of the Canada Turkish Business Council, testified at a meeting of the the House of Commons Committee for Foreign Affairs. The committee was examining the issue of military export permits to Turkey. Gar advised the committee of the importance of the Canada-Turkey economic relationship to our members and furthermore that the current challenge of military export permits should not be allowed to become an irritant so as to damage the overall relationship between the two countries.
Click here to view a recording of the session
click here for more information on the work of the House of Commons Committee for Foreign Affairs
March 2021
With a population exceeding 83 million and an economy ranked in the world’s Top 20, Turkey is rapidly emerging as a high-growth market. Canada and Turkey have long-standing economic ties, with bilateral trade topping C$3.6 billion in 2019. That same year, our two governments also established a Turkish-Canadian Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), which aims to increase trade and investment between our countries. In this post, EDC examines:
The effects of the pandemic on Turkey
Current and future opportunity sectors in Turkey
April 2020
What a challenging time this is for businesses in Canada and around the world. As COVID-19 spreads internationally its impact extends far beyond the serious health implications of the pandemic. To halt the spread of the disease public officials and business executives have made difficult decisions that have effectively brought the global economy to a standstill. Several countries have closed most major businesses except for grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential services and have issued “stay at home” orders for their citizens. Other countries, including Canada and the United States, have closed their borders to nonessential traffic.
Decision-makers dealing with the huge economic cost of the pandemic are now weighing strategies and timelines for getting businesses going again, while also protecting the overall health of workers. Hopefully, this will happen sooner rather than later.
The CTBC is here to assist Canadian businesses as required in terms of any business- related issues involving Turkey. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns and we will do our best to provide the necessary information to you in a timely manner. We are in the process of organizing an online information session that will address Canada / Turkey commercial issues stemming from COVID-19. Details to follow.
November 2019
CTBC BUSINESS MISSION TO TURKEY The CTBC organized and headed a Canadian business delegation to Turkey in November 2019 of over 60 representatives in such key sectors as healthcare, education, innovation, smart cities, infrastructure, and natural resources. The program for the visit included three major events:
First Meeting of Canada Turkey Joint Economic & Trade Committee (JETCO), November 13, 2019
The 16th Joint Annual Conference between the CTBC and the Turkey Canada Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK), November 14, 2019, and
The 2nd Conference between the CTBC and the Chambers of Commerce of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), November 15, 2019.
Please click below for additional details.
1st Meeting of Canada Turkey Joint Economic & Trade Committee (JETCO)
The first JETCO meeting was held November 13 in Istanbul. The Canadian government portion of the delegation was headed by Jonathan Fried, Coordinator, International Economic Relations and Personal Representative of the Prime Minister to the G20. His Turkish counterpart was Ms. Gonca Isik Yilmaz Batur, Deputy Minister for Trade. For the purpose of the JETCO, the CTBC was represented by Mike Ward, Executive Director while Osman Okyay represented the Turkey Canada Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey.
The meeting represented a major milestone in Canada / Turkey commercial relations in that key senior-level officials are now more closely involved in identifying and promoting trade and investment priorities between the two countries. With the first meeting now complete, representatives from the public and private sectors of both sides are in the process of identifying deliverables for the second JETCO meeting expected to take place in Toronto on October 27, 2020.
A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing the JETCO may be accessed here.
16th Joint Annual CTBC/DEIK Conference
Approximately 200 Turkish business representatives attended the event in Istanbul. In addition to sector panels arranged for the conference, the event also included well-attended B2B meetings for participants that lasted approximately three hours in total. All anticipated outcomes by participants were either reached or, in most cases, exceeded.
2nd CTBC/TOBB Conference
The CTBC / TOBB conference was attended by about 70 Ankara-based business and government officials in key sectors and included over two hours of business-to-business meetings. It also included a private meeting with the Turkish Deputy Minister for Industry and some of his key staff members. The Deputy Minister welcomed the delegation warmly, had been well briefed on the range of Canadian firms on the delegation, and offered his support to promote stronger business ties with Canada.
Follow-up Business Mission
The November 2019 business mission was deemed such a success that a number of participating firms made return visits to both Istanbul and Ankara in February 2020 to pursue business leads identified during the November visit.
Nov 14-15 2019
The Canada Turkey Business Council (CTBC) is coordinating a trade and investment mission to Turkey for networking and outreach activities in both Istanbul (November 14) and Ankara (November 15) that will focus on the key sectors of:
Construction & Infrastructure Transportation & Logistics Advanced Technology Mining, and Healthcare & Life Sciences A brief overview of each sector is included below. Partner Organizations
Our partner for the November 14 program in Istanbul, the Turkey Canada Business Council (TCBC) of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey, will host the 16th Joint Annual Trade & Investment Conference with the CTBC. This will include sectoral panel sessions, B2B meetings, networking opportunities and site visits.
Our partner for the November 15 program in Ankara, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), which is an amalgamation of Turkish business chambers, will organize roundtable sessions, B2B meetings, networking events and visits with senior government officials and key business contacts.
We are working closely on both events with Chris Wimmer, Canada’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Turkey, and with his team in both Ankara and Istanbul.
For more details and registration, please click on the button below.
Dec 13, 2018
The 15th Joint Annual Conference of the Canada Turkey Business Council and the Turkey Canada Business Council was held against a background of unprecedented growth in commercial relations between the two countries. It was no surprise, then, that the event attracted a sold out audience of over 300 representatives from Canadian public and private sectors and a 22-person high-level Turkish delegation.
Keynote speakers included The Honorable Todd Smith, Government House Leader in the Ontario Legislature and Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; Rocco Rossi, President & CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce; and Chris Wimmer, Senior Trade Commissioner & Consul at the Canadian Consulate General in Istanbul. The conference provided a very useful networking opportunity and for Canadians to learn about the tremendous trade and investment opportunities in Turkey in a broad range of key sectors as well as how to leverage provincial programs to help firms reach export markets. At the same time, Turkish firms established new contacts and identified new commercial opportunities in Ontario.
Sep 19, 2018
CTBC representatives made a formal presentation on its activities to the Mississauga Board of Trade.
Jul 31, 2018 | Brampton, ON
Representatives of CTBC Member MDA (builder of the Canadarm) gave a presentation to the Brampton Board of Trade. Please click on the button for more details.
