Italy will host the fourth intergovernmental summit with Türkiye on Tuesday, as the two countries seek to build momentum in their historic ties. Elif Çomoğlü Ülgen, Turkish ambassador in Rome, says “good news is in store” at the summit, which will be attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
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 primarily focus on economic cooperation, with representatives of Italian and Turkish businesses meeting at a business forum at the summit.
Ülgen, who took office as Türkiye’s ambassador to Italy earlier this month, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday that they were very excited about the event. “We have been preparing for this summit for a while, and we have seen that Italian officials are also excited,” she said.
Last year, Meloni personally invited Erdoğan to the summit via a phone call to discuss bilateral relations, including trade. However, the summit was delayed from its original date, April 17, to April 29.
Türkiye and Italy have been strengthening bilateral ties in recent years, especially in commerce. The trade volume has reached $32 billion in 2024, surpassing the previously set target of $30 billion, while industrial contracts have intensified.
Earlier this year, Italian defense giant Leonardo, one of Europe's largest defense industry companies, and Turkish drone powerhouse Baykar signed a cooperation agreement, highlighting their interest in intensifying defense cooperation.
Diplomatic engagements have increased, with Erdoğan and Meloni holding frequent phone discussions. In the Black Sea and the Middle East, Türkiye’s mediation efforts for the wars in Ukraine and Gaza align with Italy’s priorities for regional stability.
The two NATO allies function as regional and international bridge-builders in the Mediterranean region.
Similarly, migration is also of particular interest for both nations, which lie on two major routes into the European Union for people fleeing war and poverty.
Ülgen said the summit was the most significant target for bilateral relations and will “expand horizons” for the two countries, already enjoying “very positive relations. “We are looking forward to better implementation of win-win principles,” she stated.
She noted that having good bilateral relations was essential “amid new developments,” pointing out a review of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. “We can consider what both countries can do together, contribute to the policies of each other in this region, in neighboring regions, in the wider Mediterranean, from Africa to the Balkans, Euro-Atlantic and the Middle East. A coordinated foreign policy empowering each other may provide an excellent platform,” she stated.
The ambassador said the business world played an important role in relations, defining their role as “a success story.” “Undoubtedly, this is reinforced by strong political relations. For instance, the bilateral trade volume was around $10 billion in 2019, and by the end of 2024, it reached $32.2 billion. I believe leaders will set new goals at the summit and businesses will work to reach these goals,” she said. She noted that bilateral trade was particularly successful in fields such as automotive, iron and steel production, textiles, medicine and goods, but leaders may promote new venues of business cooperation, especially in AI-based new technologies.
Regarding a question about Turkish students facing visa issues in Italy, Ülgen stated that they were aware of the issue and had cooperated with the Italian Embassy in Ankara. “We are working through goodwill and are aware of problems. We are working with our citizens and the Italian authorities to resolve these problems,” she said.
