Türkiye and Italy on Tuesday voiced their willingness to further advance their partnership in the defense industry and lifted the target for their bilateral goods exchange volume, as the two Mediterranean countries seek to boost cooperation and trade.
"Türkiye and Italy are two key NATO allies. Relations between us are improving day by day. On significant matters, we share valuable alignment," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told a press conference alongside Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
"We will continue to strengthen our cooperation with Italy in the defense industry, which has made significant progress, through new partnerships and projects," Erdoğan added.
He arrived in Rome on Tuesday to attend the 4th Intergovernmental Summit between Türkiye and Italy, which was expected to focus on steps to enhance cooperation, along with discussions of current regional and global issues.
Meloni welcomed Erdoğan with a ceremony at the Villa Pamphili residence in Rome before the two leaders went on to have a one-on-one meeting.
The visit comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed the European Union, of which Italy is part, to seek deeper security ties with Türkiye, a NATO ally and long a candidate to join the 27-nation bloc.
"I believe that Italy, which has consistently supported our European Union membership process from the very beginning, will continue to maintain this approach," Erdoğan said.
With arms industry orders soaring in response to the conflict, in March, Italian defense firm Leonardo and Turkish drone magnate Baykar agreed to jointly develop unmanned aerial systems.
Following their meeting, Erdoğan and Meloni oversaw the signing of a number of deals, including on defense, trade, industrial investments, transportation and space.
The agreements included a preliminary protocol between Baykar and Leonardo, which was signed by Baykar Chairman of the Board Selçuk Bayraktar and Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani.
"I believe that we are laying new foundations for the further advancement of the excellent relations between Italy and Türkiye," which could easily be the number one in the Mediterranean, Meloni told the press conference.
"Our efforts have been highly productive, and we are very pleased with the results."
Italy is Türkiye's second-largest commercial partner in Europe. Bilateral trade was worth $32.2 billion in 2024, according to Rome.
"Our trade ties with Italy are strengthening, and we will explore new areas of cooperation. Economy and trade drive this collaboration forward. Italy ranks among the top five countries in our foreign trade," said Erdoğan.
"At today's summit, we set our new trade volume target at $40 billion, and I believe we will achieve this goal with the newly signed agreements."
In addition to bilateral relations, Erdoğan and Meloni also discussed the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
"Türkiye will continue contributing to peace. Our peace efforts in the region, particularly in the Black Sea, are ongoing," Erdoğan said.
"We also discussed developments in Ukraine and expressed our support for Ukraine's territorial integrity," he added.
Erdoğan said restoring the cease-fire in Gaza, where humanitarian aid has not been allowed to enter for the past two months, "is our top priority."
On Libya, he said Türkiye and Italy would continue to work together on long-term and sustainable solutions to preserve the war-torn nation's stability and prosperity.
In Syria, Türkiye is focused on the reconstruction of the country, strengthening its institutions, and preserving its territorial integrity, Erdoğan added.
The first intergovernmental summit was held in 2008 in Türkiye’s Izmir and the last one was held in the capital, Ankara, three years ago.
The summit will be followed by a forum with participation from both countries' business communities.
Migration is also high on the agenda. Ankara has, in recent years, played a leading role in helping stem irregular arrivals to Europe.
The delegations were also expected to work to enhance cooperation in transport, infrastructure, space and sport, with Italy and Türkiye due to jointly host the Euro 2032 football tournament, the source said.
