Canada | Turkey |
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Canada and Turkey have maintained diplomatic relations since 1943. Both countries are members of the G20, NATO, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
The first Turkish migrants arrived to Canada in the late 19th century from what was then the Ottoman Empire. [1] In 1922, soon after obtaining its independence, Canada issued its first foreign policy mandate to the United Kingdom that it would not partake in war with Turkey during the Chanak Crisis. [2] First official contact between both nations took place in 1943 when the Turkish government informed Ottawa of its intent to open a resident embassy, which was opened in 1944. [3] Canada followed suit in 1947 by opening an embassy in Ankara. [4]
During the Cold War, relations between both nations evolved mainly around military and security cooperation within the framework of NATO. [3] In March 1985, three members of the Armenian Revolutionary Army attacked the Turkish embassy in Ottawa and held the Ambassador and several other people within the embassy hostage. The attackers wanted Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. After four hours, the hostages were released unharmed and the armed men were taken into police custody. [5] This was the third assault on Turkish diplomatic staff in Ottawa by Armenian attackers in three years. [5]
In 2004, the Canadian Parliament formally recognized the Armenian Genocide. [6] Canada's recognition has had an adverse effect on the bilateral relations between the two countries. [3]
There have been numerous high-level visits between leaders of both nations. In June 2010, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid a visit to Canada to attend the G20 Summit in Toronto. In November 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid a visit to Turkey to attend the G20 Summit in Antalya. [7]
In June 2019, Canada and Turkey signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a Joint Economic and Trade Committee, with a view to holding annual meetings between Canadian and Turkish officials and businesses to expand bilateral trade and investment opportunities. [4]
On 9 October 2019, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland stated that Canada "firmly condemns" Turkey's military offensive into north-eastern Syria. [8]
During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Canada has taken a neutral stance, while Turkey openly supported Azerbaijan. However, after Canadian military technology was found to be used by the Azerbaijani military attacking civilians, Canada suspended export to Azerbaijan, prompting criticism against Canada by Turkey. Relations between Turkey and Canada have started to be strained since 2019 after Turkish intervention in Syria. [9] Turkey accused Canada of "double standard" in freezing military exports to Turkey but not Saudi Arabia, which is involved in military intervention in Yemen. [10]
In 2019, trade between both nations totaled US$2.4 billion. [3] Over 350 Canadian companies have investments in Turkey, mostly in the fields of energy, mining, information technology and infrastructure. [3]
In 2019, Canada decided to block arms exports because Turkey used Canadian arms in the Turkish operations in Syria, but later the restrictions eased. Canada reimposed the restrictions in 2021 after it was found that Canadian technology and arms which were exported to Turkey used in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and Turkey violated the Canadian foreign policy and the end-use assurances given to Canada by her. Turkey said that this move will affect the bilateral relations and undermine alliance solidarity. [11] In early 2024, Canada started to export arms to Turkey again. [12]
Embassy of Canada in Ankara | |
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Location | Ankara |
Address | Aziziye, Cinnah Street no: 58, 06690 |
Ambassador | Kevin Hamilton |
Embassy of Turkey in Ottawa | |
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Location | Ottawa |
Address | 197 Wurtemburg St. K1N 8L9 |
Ambassador | Esra Demir |
The Republic of Azerbaijan is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO's Partnership for Peace, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the World Health Organization, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; the Council of Europe, CFE Treaty, the Community of Democracies; the International Monetary Fund; and the World Bank.
Since its independence, Armenia has maintained a policy of trying to have positive and friendly relations with Iran, Russia, and the West, including the United States and the European Union. It has full membership status in a number of international organizations, such as the Council of Europe and the Eurasian Economic Union, and observer status, etc. in some others. However, the dispute over the Armenian genocide of 1915 and the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have created tense relations with two of its immediate neighbors, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey are officially non-existent and have historically been hostile. Whilst Turkey recognised Armenia shortly after the latter proclaimed independence in September 1991, the two countries have failed to establish diplomatic relations. In 1993, Turkey reacted to the war in Nagorno-Karabakh by closing its border with Armenia out of support for Azerbaijan.
Relations have always been strong between Azerbaijan and Turkey, the only two predominantly Turkic countries located west of the Caspian Sea. Former Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev often described the two as being "one nation, two states."
Iran–Turkey relations are the bilateral relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey. The two states' relationship is complex and characterized by periods of both tension and cooperation, as both Iran and Turkey are fighting for influence in the Middle East through supporting opposing proxies as part of a proxy conflict. The two countries are also major trade partners and are perceived as mutually interdependent due to geographical proximity as well as historically shared cultural, linguistic, and ethnic traits.
A bilateral relationship exists between Armenia and Israel. From 1993 to 2007, Armenia was served by the Embassy of Israel in Georgia. In 1996, Tsolak Momjian was appointed the honorary consul of Armenia in Jerusalem. Eleven years later, the residence of the Embassy of Israel in Armenia was moved to Jerusalem. In October 2010, Shmuel Meirom was appointed the Israeli ambassador to Armenia. Armen Melkonian was appointed the Armenian ambassador to Israel in 2012, with a residence in Cairo. In October of that year, Melkonian presented his credentials to Israeli President Shimon Peres. On 21 September 2019 Armenia announced that it would be opening an embassy in Israel. Despite generally cordial ties between the two, relations soured after Armenia withdrew its ambassador to Israel due to Israeli arms supply to Armenia's enemy, Azerbaijan, in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 brought an end to the Cold War and created an opportunity for establishing bilateral relations between the United States with Armenia and other post-Soviet states as they began a political and economic transformation. The United States recognized the independence of Armenia on 25 December 1991, and opened an embassy in Armenia's capital Yerevan in February 1992.
Russia–Turkey relations are the bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey and their antecedent states. Relations between the two are rather cyclical. From the late 16th until the early 20th centuries, relations between the Ottoman and Russian empires were normally adverse and hostile and the two powers were engaged in numerous Russo-Turkish wars, including one of the longest wars in modern history. Russia attempted to extend its influence in the Balkans and gain control of the Bosphorus at the expense of the weakening Ottoman Empire. As a result, the diplomatic history between the two powers was extremely bitter and acrimonious up to World War I. However, in the early 1920s, as a result of the Bolshevik Russian government's assistance to Turkish revolutionaries during the Turkish War of Independence, the governments' relations warmed. Relations again turned sour at the end of WWII as the Soviet government laid territorial claims and demanded other concessions from Turkey. Turkey joined NATO in 1952 and placed itself within the Western alliance against the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War, when relations between the two countries were at their lowest level. Relations began to improve the following year, when the Soviet Union renounced its territorial claims after the death of Stalin.
Russia and Azerbaijan are de facto and de jure allies in many different aspects, including military. Bilateral relations exist between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. The Embassy of Azerbaijan is located in Moscow, Russia. The Embassy of Russia is located in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Foreign relations exist between Armenia and Bulgaria. Both countries are full members of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Council of Europe. Both nations maintain embassies in their respective capitals.
Foreign relations exist between Azerbaijan and Estonia. Both countries were part of Russian Empire and Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tallinn. Estonia is represented in Azerbaijan through its embassy in Ankara (Turkey). Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Azerbaijan, along with Georgia and Armenia, is Estonia's ally in South Caucasus. Approximately 2,500 Azerbaijanis live in Estonia.
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates share extensive cultural, military and economic ties, but relations have substantially deteriorated since Arab Spring, and later started to recover in the recent years.
The nations of Azerbaijan and Mexico established diplomatic relations in 1992. Both nations are members of the United Nations.
The nations of Armenia and Mexico established diplomatic relations in 1992. Both nations are members of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbaijan, Armenia and the self-declared Armenian breakaway state of Artsakh. The war lasted for 44 days and resulted in Azerbaijani victory, with the defeat igniting anti-government protests in Armenia. Post-war skirmishes continued in the region, including substantial clashes in 2022.
Armenia–United Arab Emirates relations are the diplomatic relations between Armenia and the United Arab Emirates. Official relations exist between both nations since 1998. Armenia has an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates has embassy in Yerevan.
Armenia–Australia relations are bilateral relations between Armenia and Australia. Australia's accredited mission to Armenia is from its embassy in Moscow.
Bilateral relations exist between Italy and Armenia. Italy has an embassy in Yerevan and Armenia has an embassy in Rome. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the OSCE.
The following is list of the official reactions to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Because of the geography, history, and sensitivities of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, accusations, allegations, and statements have been made of involvement by third-party and international actors during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, including in media reports. Azerbaijan has been accused of employing Syrian mercenaries during the war, including reports by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). There have also been allegations of Kurdish militia from Syria and Iraq fighting on the Armenian side, and although some third-party sources had confirmed it, some publications had considered these claims "dubious". During the war, ethnic Armenian volunteers from the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America fought on Armenian side. Both sides have denied employing mercenaries in the war, but the OHCHR had stated that there were reports about Syrian fighters motivated primarily by private gain fighting on Azerbaijan's side recruited with Turkey's assistance and foreign nationals fighting on Armenian side with motivation being investigated, calling for withdrawal of any mercenaries and related actors from Nagorno-Karabakh.