Rome and Ankara lay strong foundations for expanding ties: Italian PM Meloni

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday said that Italy and Türkiye have laid strong foundations for further advancing their “excellent relations,” following the fourth intergovernmental summit held in Rome.

Meloni highlights strong bilateral relations between Italy and Türkiye

Speaking at a joint news conference with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Meloni expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the summit.

“I believe that we have laid strong foundations for the further advancement of the excellent relations between Italy and Türkiye,” she said.

Meloni praised the countries’ collaboration in the Mediterranean, emphasizing that “there are good relations aimed at making Italy-Türkiye the number one partnership in the Mediterranean.” She highlighted that the bilateral trade volume surpassed $30 billion in 2024, marking a record with a 28% increase.

Italy, Türkiye set new trade targets and praise defense industry cooperation

Meloni underlined that the two nations’ activities and productions complement each other, noting the continuous increase in potential and added value generation.

“We are achieving the $30 billion trade volume we aimed for five years earlier than expected,” Meloni said, adding that the medium-term goal is to reach a bilateral trade volume of $40 billion.

Meloni expressed confidence in both countries’ firms and praised Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar for its success.

She also pointed out that Italy-based joint ventures will not only strengthen existing capabilities but also create new opportunities for Europe as a whole.

Strategic partnership in energy and broader cooperation sectors

The Italian prime minister noted that Italy and Türkiye are “strategic partners” in the energy sector, particularly in natural gas, and signaled willingness to expand cooperation in renewable energy, space, high-speed rail, cultural heritage, and archaeology.

“Our relationship with Türkiye goes far beyond economic ties. We are allied countries within the Atlantic Alliance in the Europe-Mediterranean scenario,” Meloni said.

Collaboration on geopolitical issues and migration

Meloni shared that she and President Erdogan had extensive consultations on geopolitical crises. She thanked Erdogan for Türkiye’s mediation efforts in Ukraine and emphasized their joint efforts towards reconstruction and lasting peace in Gaza, Syria, and Libya.

On migration, Meloni pointed out that joint measures with Türkiye have been highly effective. “Irregular migration originating from Türkiye has dropped to zero,” she stated.

She also highlighted the mutual commitment to fighting organized crime and human trafficking, saying, “I believe we can be proud of what we have achieved so far.”