President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday joined the G-7 leaders summit as an invitee.
Arriving from Madrid, Erdoğan was welcomed in Borgo Egnazia by Italian premier Giorgia Meloni before he met with other G-7 leaders.
The Turkish leader attended the High Level Session on Africa and the Mediterranean/Artificial Intelligence and Energy at the summit. Israel’s deadly war on the Gaza Strip, nearing its ninth month, was the top item on the president’s agenda.
In addition to cultural events and an informal dinner, Erdoğan is also holding a series of bilateral meetings, including with Pope Francis who delivered a historic speech on the use of AI.
With other world leaders, Erdoğan is expected to pose for a family photo to mark the occasion.
The president is accompanied by first lady Emine Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser to the President Ambassador Akif Çağatay Kılıç and Vice President of Communications Çağatay Özdemir.
Leaders of the Group of Seven of industrialized nations turned their attention to migration on the second day of their summit Friday, seeking ways to combat trafficking and increase investment in countries from where migrants start out on often life-threatening journeys, including Türkiye.
The gathering in a luxury resort in Italy’s southern Puglia region is also discussing other major topics, such as financial support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, artificial intelligence and climate change, as well as China’s industrial policy and economic security.
Migration is of particular interest to summit host Italy, which lies on one of the major routes into the European Union for people fleeing war and poverty in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
