Carney says Canadian nuclear bid has good chances in Turkey

ISTANBUL · Prime Minister Mark Carney says a Canadian company's bid to supply nuclear energy to Turkey has a real shot of winning the lucrative tender. He made the comments during meetings with Turkish business leaders in Istanbul on Oct. 23, 2026. Carney said the AtkinsRéalis bid to supply two planned Turkish power plants with the Candu nuclear reactor now has "good chances" of succeeding. He added that he probably would not have been singing the same tune a year ago.

The prime minister's assessment follows the announcement of a new strategic partnership between Canada and Turkey to deepen cooperation on a range of files. Carney announced the partnership a day before his meetings with business leaders. Energy is one of the pillars of that agreement. Carney said there is a compelling case to be made for the made-in-Canada nuclear technology and prospective partnerships with Turkish construction companies. He said contract decisions are ultimately made business to business, but his role in Istanbul is to share how the Canadian market has evolved to be more welcoming to foreign firms and investors.

Role of the strategic partnership

The new bilateral framework appears to have shifted the landscape for the Canadian bid. Carney indicated that the prospects for the AtkinsRéalis proposal have improved in the context of the enhanced government to government relationship. His meetings in Turkey focused on promoting the Canadian nuclear technology and the potential benefits of the partnership for Turkish energy infrastructure. The Candu reactor, a pressurized heavy-water reactor design developed in Canada, is the technology at the heart of the bid for the two planned power plants. The prime minister's trip shows the federal government's active role in supporting major Canadian infrastructure and technology exports.

Changing market conditions

Carney's comments highlight a perceived change in conditions over the past year. He did not specify what factors a year ago would have made him less optimistic about the bid's chances. His statement suggests that diplomatic, commercial or regulatory developments have since improved the proposal's competitiveness. By engaging directly with Turkish business leaders, Carney is attempting to facilitate the commercial negotiations that will determine the final outcome of the tender process. The bid by AtkinsRéalis represents a significant potential export deal for Canada's nuclear industry. A successful tender would see Canadian reactor technology deployed in Turkey's expanding energy sector. No timeline for a final decision on the tender was provided in the prime minister's remarks. The strategic partnership announced between Canada and Turkey covers a range of files beyond energy, though the details of those other areas of cooperation were not specified in the reporting.

With files from The Canadian Press, Narcity and Winnipeg Sun