Türkiye and Italy Set $40 Billion Trade Goal as Erdoğan and Meloni Deepen Strategic Partnership
Rome, The Gulf Observer: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have jointly announced an ambitious new bilateral trade volume target of $40 billion, underscoring a deepening of ties between the two NATO allies.
The announcement came during a joint press conference following the fourth Türkiye–Italy Intergovernmental Summit, held in Rome on Tuesday, where both leaders highlighted the strategic importance of strengthening economic, defence, and regional cooperation.
“Türkiye will continue to strengthen cooperation with Italy, which has made significant progress in the defence industry, through new partnerships and projects,” President Erdoğan stated, emphasizing Ankara’s commitment to expanding collaboration with Rome across key sectors.
The summit featured extensive discussions on regional security, with Libya highlighted as a priority area. “Türkiye will continue to work together with Italy on long-term sustainable solutions to preserve Libya’s stability and prosperity,” Erdoğan said, reflecting a shared interest in promoting peace and rebuilding efforts in the Mediterranean region.
Addressing humanitarian crises in the Middle East, President Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. “Even the entry of humanitarian aid has not been allowed for the past two months,” he said, expressing grave concern over the ongoing suffering of civilians and urging international action.
On the situation in Syria, Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for the country’s reconstruction, institutional strengthening, and territorial integrity. “We are currently focused on Syria’s recovery and long-term stability,” he noted.
The Turkish president also acknowledged Italy’s consistent backing of Türkiye’s European Union membership aspirations. “I believe Italy, which has supported Türkiye’s EU membership bid from the very beginning, will continue this approach,” he said.
Prime Minister Meloni echoed Erdoğan’s remarks, praising the productive outcome of the summit and reaffirming Rome’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with Ankara. “We took significant steps with Turkish President Erdoğan to further improve already excellent bilateral relations,” she affirmed.
The summit marked a pivotal moment in Türkiye–Italy relations, with both leaders pledging to intensify dialogue and cooperation in defence, trade, regional stability, and humanitarian issues.
