Visit of the Honourable Andrew Scheer, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, and a Parliamentary Delegation, Turkey

From March 10 to 14, 2014, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Andrew Scheer, M.P., led a parliamentary delegation on a visit to Turkey. The delegation was composed of Mr. Rodger Cuzner, M.P., Mr. Nathan Cullen, M.P., and Mr. David Wilks, M.P. Accompanying the delegation were Mrs. Jill Scheer, Ms. Kenzie Potter, Chief of Staff, Office of the Speaker, and Ms. Marlene Sandoval, Secretary to the delegation.

In Ankara, the delegation met with:

• His Excellency Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey;
• His Excellency Cemil Çiçek, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly;
• His Excellency Nihat Zeybekci, Minister of Economy;
• His Excellency Mehdi Eker, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock;
• Mr. Sadik Badak, Chairman of the Turkey-Canada Interparliamentary Friendship Group; and
• Representatives of Turkish civil society: Ms. Nur Batur, Mr. Suat Kiniklioglu, and Ms. Feray Salman.

The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the relation between Canada and Turkey by promoting the establishment of ongoing parliamentary dialogue and future parliamentary exchanges. The delegation was particularly interested in matters of trade and investment, the economy, and peace and stability in the region. The visit provided opportunities for discussion on foreign policy issues of international and mutual interest, on subjects arising from both countries’ membership in various multilateral organizations, as well as on the bilateral relationship between Canada and Turkey.

In addition to these meetings, the delegation visited the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the Anitkabir, where, after a wreath-laying ceremony and a moment of silence, it visited the War Museum. It also visited the first building of the Turkish Parliament. To increase its awareness of Turkey’s cultural variety and historic wealth, the delegation travelled to Cappadocia, a natural, historical and archeological rich region located in central Anatolia, and to Istanbul, where the delegates participated in a roundtable with Canadian business and financial representatives. They also took part in the Dedication Ceremony of the Canadian Consulate General.