As the Government of Canada enters the second year of its celebrated and successful Global Markets Action Plan (GMAP), it has a clear opportunity to strengthen bilateral trade with a priority export market of enormous promise and strategic importance.The GMAP trade policy identifies the Republic of Turkey as an emerging market with broad Canadian interests – a designation reserved for those specified countries which hold the best potential for the success of Canadian commercial interests.As strong and vital as our bilateral trade relationship is, there is more which can be done to achieve its full potential. Both our countries must do more to eliminate trade barriers which distort market forces and impede the free flow of goods and services.Last year, following an extensive study of the Canada-Turkey economic relationship, the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade recommended that Canada accelerate negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement.The Committee stated, “Turkey, like Canada, is a trading nation and the governments should work together on a mutually beneficial FTA. Given the advantages that would be gained, even a modest agreement would result in significant returns.”In its response to the Senate study, the government confirmed “a Canada-Turkey FTA would represent a key building block towards a deeper Canada-Turkey partnership, lead to new export and investment opportunities, and generate additional prosperity.”Canada and Turkey share a commitment to trade liberalization and the elimination of barriers to global commerce. Our two countries were founded and built by those who sought to leverage the unique benefits of our respective resources and geographies.There are great opportunities for our two countries in a broad range of industrial sectors including tourism and hospitality, information technology, telecommunications and mining. There is also enormous potential for greater bilateral foreign investment.For our part, the Turkish Steel Exporters Association is proud of the work our members are doing in partnership with Canadian companies in Canada, in Turkey and around the world in the burgeoning construction, infrastructure and energy sectors.Working together, Canadian and Turkish companies are not only creating pipelines and bridges, but also high skilled jobs in both our countries. As part of an integrated global supply chain, Turkish steel is helping to support Canada's infrastructure economy.These opportunities will only continue to grow. Canada, like Turkey, has announced ambitious plans to build or repair major public infrastructure projects over the next decade. These projects have the potential to boost our two economies – and, we are not alone.A number of key markets from around the world have committed themselves to major public infrastructure spending in the years ahead – fueling a global demand for high quality Turkish steel and highly skilled Canadian expertise.The challenge we face is that far too many jurisdictions, including some of our most valued trading partners, impose protectionist measures and 'Buy Domestic' rules which unfairly exclude global companies and inhibit the benefits of open competition.While advocates of these measures claim they help to protect domestic industries and jobs, the reality is that they come at a great cost. Protectionism increases the budgets needed to complete public projects at great expense to taxpayers.Worse, high tariffs, domestic preference and other restrictions imposed on construction materials – including steel – can make the cost of projects so prohibitively high that they cannot be completed. When projects don't proceed, construction jobs are lost.It is therefore in the collective best interests of both Canadian and Turkish industries that we actively oppose trade protectionism in all its forms – not only between our two countries, but wherever it is encountered. Barriers to trade are barriers to prosperity.Mr. Namik Ekinci is Chairman of the Board of the Turkish Steel Exporters' Association and Chief Executive Officer of Ekinciler