Canada and Turkey forge trade and defense deals as Carney looks beyond US

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a “strategic partnership” Thursday as Canada seeks to reduce its dependence on the United States.

The two leaders oversaw the signing of three cooperation agreements covering the defense industry, transportation and energy. They also announced the start of negotiations on a free trade agreement.

“We have taken a historic step toward the future of our relations,” Erdogan said after the signing ceremony. “Elevating our relations to the level of a strategic partnership will not remain merely on paper; it will not be a merely symbolic step.”

Carney has sought to diversify Canada’s partnerships amid an escalating trade war with the U.S. after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods. The dispute has been marked by Canadian retaliation and statements by Trump questioning Canada’s sovereignty.

“No country, whatever it’s blessed with, no country builds strength alone,” Carney said. “The most resilient countries bring together complementary strengths, with trusted partners.”

Carney is making the first bilateral visit to Turkey by a Canadian prime minister, although he traveled to Ankara in July for the NATO summit. He is scheduled to visit Istanbul on Friday for talks with Turkish business groups.

In a sign of improving ties, Canada lifted its ban on the export of weapons to Turkey in 2024. It had imposed the restrictions following Turkey’s military incursions into Syria and over Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia, including providing equipment that used Canadian-made parts.

“Allies must be able to rely on each other for equipment and capabilities that keep us safe," Carney said.

“Today’s new agreement on defense industry partnership will connect Canadian and Turkish companies to work together, creating good jobs at home, export opportunities abroad, greater security for our citizens and contributing to a stronger NATO alliance,” he added.

Erdogan said both countries hope to increase annual bilateral trade volume from around $3 billion to $5 billion initially, and then to $10 billion.

Turkey plans to build a second nuclear power plant on its Black Sea coast, in addition to one under construction by Russia’s Rosatom on the Mediterranean coast. Canada has expressed interest in participating in the project.

Amnesty International on Thursday urged Carney to raise human rights concerns during his trip.

His visit comes amid an intensified crackdown on Turkey’s opposition. Authorities have arrested journalists and activists, including LGBTQ rights defenders, and installed a government-appointed administrator to run a popular opposition-aligned television station.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is considered to be a main rival to Erdogan, has been imprisoned for over a year on corruption charges he denies. Hundreds of party members and elected officials have also been detained in a crackdown critics say is designed to cripple Turkey’s largest opposition group. Erdogan's government insists Turkish courts operate independently.

“As the judiciary is increasingly used to silence dissent and suppress critical voices, a clear message emerges: speaking out can come at a heavy price,” Amnesty's Turkey director, Ruhat Sena Aksenir, said in a statement.

“Canada must not treat human rights as secondary in the negotiations. Sustainable partnerships depend on accountability and respect for the rule of law,” she added.

Carney did not raise the issue in public.

Earlier, mounted cavalry units escorted Carney’s vehicle to the sprawling Turkish presidential compound, where a welcoming ceremony was held. Erdogan and Carney then proceeded to a palace building for bilateral talks.

Prime Minister Mark Carney sits on stage and listens during a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, looks on as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reads his statement in Ankara, Turkey on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan take to the stage for a joint statement in Ankara, Turkey Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks on as Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a joint-statement in Ankara, Turkey on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)

FILE - Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Miz will try to whiz his famous fastball by batters on baseball's biggest stage, opening a new-look World Series between teams guaranteed to produce a first-time champion.

Jacob Misiorowski brings his record-setting heat to the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night when he throws the first pitch of the best-of-seven championship against the Tampa Bay Rays, a matchup of modest-money marvels who bumped off glamorous rivals with a throwback base-to-base style.

“Forrest Gump, everyone,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Thursday, introducing his ace to the assembled media.

“I'm still fresh to this and have no idea what the hell is going on,” Misiorowski said a few minutes later.

Few predicted this pairing of pennant winners when the season opened March 25. The first World Series with robot umpires is the first since 1980 between teams seeking their first championship and also could be the first with a 104 mph pitch — thanks to Misiorowski — and the first to be played totally indoors.

"I’m excited to see two great teams that play the game a little differently than maybe it’s been played the last decade or so,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Milwaukee is in the Series for the second time after a 44-year absence — an appropriate number given that it was the jersey of the Cream City's most famous baseball player, Hank Aaron, who became a star with the Milwaukee Braves in the 1950s and ended his career with the expansion Brewers in the 1970s.

Both teams fell short in previous Series trips, the Brewers losing to St. Louis in 1982 and the Rays to Philadelphia in 2008 and to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. Not since the Phillies beat Kansas City in 1980 have two teams met seeking their first title. The time before that was in 1920.

Misiorowski, a 24-year-old right-hander in his first full major league season, is a starting pitcher like no other. He threw 1,115 pitches of 100 mph or higher this year — shattering the old high of 673 since tracking began in 2008, by Jordan Hicks in 2018.

His fastest pitch was 105.5 mph to the Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong on June 27, and he appears likely to break the 101.1 mph record for a Series starter by the New York Mets' Noah Syndergaard in 2015 and possibly the overall Series high of 103.2 mph by Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman to Cleveland's Coco Crisp in Game 2 of 2016.

Misiorowski didn't finish the fifth inning in either of his first two postseason starts this year. Batters have swung at 94 of his 182 postseason pitches and fouled off 51 — 28% of pitches and 54% of swings.

“He hasn’t been as crisp,” Murphy said. “They’re obviously looking at an area. They’re trying to exploit everything. He’s exposed, like all these guys get at some point.”

In an age where power bats usually rule, Milwaukee scored a major league-low 32.1% of its runs on homers and Tampa Bay was second-lowest at 34.4%, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“It's cool that you don't have to be that team to hit 170 home runs a game or whatever,” Misiorowski said. “You can win a baseball game so many different ways.”

Rays batters had the fewest strikeouts among the 30 teams and Tampa Bay’s 45 sacrifice bunts were the most among American League teams since 2015.

“I was a little discouraged for the last 10 or 15 years in the way the game had gone as far as relying on the home run, not worrying about strikeouts,” said Hall of Famer Robin Yount, a star of the '82 Brewers. “The game today looks like they’re starting to really focus on playing baseball again.”

This marks the first time since 1991 that both Series teams are in the bottom half of payrolls: the Brewers were 19th as of Aug. 31 and the Rays 25th. Milwaukee, MLB's smallest market, could become the first small-market champion since Kansas City in 2015. The Rays rank 15th in market size.

To reach the Series, the Brewers swept the deep-pocketed, two-time champion Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and the Rays swept the New York Yankees in an AL Division Series.

The highest-paid player in the Series, Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, was 44th overall in the majors on opening day. Yandy Díaz, who earns most among the Rays, ranked 154th.

Batters have succeeded on 63% of challenges during the postseason in the first year of the Automated Ball-Strike System, winning 40 of 63 appeals to the robot umps. That is up from 49% during the regular season.

Catchers' 58% success rate in the playoffs (58 of 99) is down a tick from 59% during the regular season and pitchers are 1 for 1 — Tampa Bay’s Griffin Jax made the only challenge. The 60% overall rate is up from 54% in the regular season.

Tampa Bay's batters have yet to make a postseason challenge. Milwaukee's have won 4 of 7, including a perfect 2 for 2 by Jake Bauers.

Brewers catcher William Contreras has won 60% (12 of 20) and Rays catcher Liam Hicks 67% (8 of 12).

Milwaukee will have had seven days off going into the opener.

While teams with less rest are 15-15 in the Series since Wild Card Era started in 1995, they are 12-4 since 2009.

Milwaukee and Tampa Bay tied for the best home record this year at 55-26.

Forced from Tropicana Field for 2025 after damage from Hurricane Milton, the Rays played across the bay at the Yankees’ spring training stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, and then returned to the refurbished Trop for 2026.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz celebrates his two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras celebrates the final out of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero celebrates a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning in Game 6 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)