Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are meeting in Rome for the fourth intergovernmental summit between their countries, at a time when bilateral ties, spanning defence and commerce are gaining new momentum.
The two leaders have previously met in multilateral settings, from the United Nations to NATO summits, discussing a range of geopolitical challenges including the war in Ukraine, the reintegration of Syria’s government into the global community, and strengthening of defence and trade cooperation.
There are signs galore of this deepening partnership as defence collaboration is emerging as a particular area of focus.
On April 7th, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto visited Ankara for talks with his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler, on strengthening military ties between the two NATO allies.
Earlier this year, Baykar, Türkiye’s leading drone manufacturer, whose unmanned systems have seen deployment from Azerbaijan to Libya, Ukraine and Ethiopia, signed a strategic agreement with Leonardo SpA, the Italian aerospace and defence giant. As of late last year, Baykar also acquired Piaggio Aerospace.
“With Baykar, we are creating a new reference player in unmanned technologies, which will play an increasingly central role in the future of defence,” said Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Leonardo. The partnership is expected to unlock fresh opportunities in Europe’s projected $100bn defence market.
Boosting trade volume
President Erdogan’s visit to Rome is not just about defence, but also fortify commercial relations. Alongside the high-level political summit between two leaders, a business forum will bring together more than 500 Turkish and Italian entrepreneurs seeking to deepen economic cooperation and explore new investment opportunities.
The bilateral trade volume between the two countries have significantly increased in recent years from $10 billion in 2019 to $32.2 billion by the end of 2024, according to Elif Comoglu Ulgen, Turkish Ambassador to Italy.
"We are very excited. I think all the Turks here share the same excitement,” the Turkish ambassador told Anadolu Agency (AA), noting the embassy and its Turkish and Italian partners “have been preparing for this summit for a long time”. She also pointed out similar excitement on the Italian side.
As of last year, Italy remains a major investor in Türkiye. More than 1,600 Italian-capitalised companies are currently active in the country, with investments totalling $5bn, according to Lale Cander, President of the Türkiye-Italy Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), an Istanbul-based Turkish business group.
“Investments are concentrated in sectors such as automotive, energy, infrastructure, logistics, banking and food. Companies such as Fiat, Pirelli, Eni and Barilla have been operating effectively in Türkiye for many years,” Cander told AA prior to the Erdogan-Meloni meeting.
Meanwhile, Turkish businesses are becoming increasingly visible in Italy, particularly in textiles, food, and automotive components, according to Cander. “There is a clear shift towards high-tech and R&D-focused investments indicating a transformation in the nature of Turkish capital abroad.”
