Carney says Canada raised issues on LGBTQ+ rights during meetings in Turkey

Canadian Prime Minister Mark ‌Carney ​said on Friday his team had raised issues over LGBTQ+ rights during meetings held with the Turkish government ‌a day earlier, adding that Ottawa's engagement in partnerships did not mean approval of policies. Carney, who is holding the first bilateral visit to Turkey by a Canadian leader, was ‌speaking to reporters in Istanbul after agreeing with President Tayyip Erdogan in ‌Ankara to upgrade ties to a strategic partnership.

His visit comes amid a crackdown in Turkey targeting LGBTQ+ groups, which the government says aims to protect children and family values. Turkey's crackdown on the opposition ⁠since ​2024 and new arrests ⁠targeting the LGBTQ+ community since September have drawn criticism from rights groups and some European officials.

Ankara ⁠says the judiciary is independent, denying that investigations or court cases are politically motivated. Carney has ​focused less on rights than his predecessors and has said that engaging with ⁠countries that Canada perceives as violating rights does not mean an endorsement of their policies.

"There are very ⁠few ​countries in this world that have the standards of Canada ... so that all Canadians can live their lives as they choose," Carney said. "Because we're engaged, ⁠we are able to raise directly with the senior authorities in these countries how ⁠we view ⁠the world and what our expectations are."

He did not meet any leaders of LGBTQ+ or human rights groups while in Turkey.