On the sidelines of UNGA79, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met, marking the eighth time since Meloni rose to power in 2022. Actually, it is not surprising as both leaders are tied by a cordial relationship pivoting on mutual sympathy. In addition to the personal aspects, the complementarities binding Italy and Türkiye are of crucial importance.
As has been stated several times, also in these columns, Italy and Türkiye share centuries of history, thus deep cultural synergies that are rooted in the same belonging to the Mediterranean, an area of historic connection, conflicts and exchanges. The Mediterranean is to be understood as a basin increasingly bringing those two states closer by eventually identifying the traits of their bilateral relations. Generally, in modern times, the relations have been constantly stable and friendly, regardless of the political stance of the governments. Rome’s positive attitude toward Ankara has always been constructive to the extent that Italy has supported and encouraged Türkiye’s EU accession, eventually moderating and mediating the negative stances of some chancelleries within the union. Indeed, in the same Mediterranean basin, also understood in a broader sense, Türkiye and Italy have been facing the same challenges and sharing the same opportunities. The common membership in important regional platforms and international organizations, therefore, elevates them as key interlocutors for crucial dossiers.
However, dialogue and cooperation are the diamonds in the crown of Italian-Turkish bilateral relations. In fact, important synergies and complementary stances are recorded in every area, from culture to education and economy as both diplomacies are intensely focused on further strengthening exchanges, also thanks to solid channels of communication and constant contact between political exponents. Nevertheless, public and people-to-people diplomacy cement the already flourishing relationship.
Türkiye and Italy share many traditions and cultural heritage; they are mutually engaged in archaeological missions of international importance and in first-rate academic exchanges both under the umbrella of the Erasmus program and in the scope of several bilateral cooperation agreements. In this context, there are also notable collaborations in research and development overall in traditional and emerging sectors of crucial importance given the challenges posed by the global conjuncture. Business is probably a great locomotive of the relations: Over 1,500 Italian companies are currently operating in Türkiye and, according to the latest survey conducted in 2022 by CeSPI Observatory on Türkiye, they declared themselves as “more than satisfied with the Turkish business environment,” also perceived as the main gateway to third countries. On the other hand, the number of Turkish companies investing in Italy is increasingly growing and the bilateral trade exchange reached almost 26 billion euros in 2023. In this regard, Italy stands as Türkiye’s fifth main trading partners at the global level.
In this already bright framework, Meloni and Erdoğan’s positive understanding adds something extra also thanks to the shared vision on some dossiers. It was precisely under the recent G-7 Italian presidency that Türkiye was invited to the table, although it does not belong to the G-7. The participation of Erdoğan and Turkish ministers in the G-7 meetings was expressly requested by Meloni, who is well aware that in addressing today’s challenges, Türkiye plays a crucial role. Great vivacity and harmony emerge from Meloni’s smiling face in welcoming Erdoğan at any event and from some media shots portraying their meetings. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that Meloni’s visit to Istanbul in January 2024 was held in a friendly and warm atmosphere, despite some divergences on some files, such as Israel’s war in Gaza.
In any case, both leaders call for an urgent solution that involves the creation of two separate and sovereign states. Italy and Türkiye also have tangible concerns about the regional extension of the conflict. Ultimately, the solution to the Israeli conflict, as with all the ongoing ones, including the Russia-Ukraine war, leads back to the common awareness regarding the reform of the U.N. system and the reshaping of the Security Council. About this, Italy and Türkiye stand on the same point as they both belong to the group “United for Consensus” aiming to find a feasible solution based on the principles of equity, democracy and representation. Moreover, regarding the Russian aggression on Ukraine, Italy and Türkiye agreed to condemn the militancy, defending the sovereign principle of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In this chessboard, the role of Türkiye as mediator is unequivocal; hence, it was welcomed by Italy, which also expressed appreciation for the most recent prisoner exchange brokered by Ankara.
As well in other scenarios, Türkiye and Italy operate in a cooperative and complementary logic. The stability of Libya, a crucial territory for Italian and Turkish interests, is an issue both governments have important margins of cooperation, including the management and fight against irregular migration and human trafficking. In addition, the fight against terrorism, the political transition and the stabilization of Syria, and today more than ever the de-escalation in the Middle East are part of the common and shared strategic priorities. A renewed emphasis also concerns Africa, a dossier that is very close to the heart of Giorgia Meloni, who is the promoter of the so-called “Mattei Plan.” As Erdoğan’s Türkiye for years has been investing efforts in the continent to the extent that it is now one of the main stakeholders in the dynamics, also in its role of security provider and mediator, there are margins to think that soon further cooperation will be tackled.
Nevertheless, in an increasingly complex and articulated global system, given the high number of actors, interests and degree of competition, the issues measuring the Italian-Turkish cooperation range, among others, from environment to energy, from humanitarian crises to health. Actually, the dramatic devastation of the Feb. 6, 2023 twin earthquakes is still a vivid memory. On that occasion, Italy was one of the first countries rushing to help the Turkish people, by setting up field hospitals, making high expertise available and recording a high mobilization of Italians committed to collecting essential goods to send to Türkiye. In the despair of the moment, the Italian people and government reciprocated the support received during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Turkish government allocated materials and medical equipment to Italy. Those are indelible memories and feelings difficult to summarize in words that, however, had crystallized a great and unequivocal certainty: the deep sense of friendship, respect and solidarity between the two states and their people.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that even at a sport level more pieces have been added to the picture. Besides the presence on the Turkish national benches of two excellent Italian coaches – Vincenzo Montella for the men’s national football team and Daniele Santarelli for the women’s national volleyball team – who have achieved important successes, a growing number of Turkish players in the Italian teams and Italians in the Turkish ones are also recorded. As the cherry on top, the 2032 Euro League will be jointly hosted and organized by Italy and Türkiye for the first time in history. There is plenty of evidence that the nations are more than just friends, as we have written many times. Hence, today there is a growing certainty that in the short-medium term, further collaborations will be signed both on the sidelines of the next inter-government summit and of JETCO, which eventually will be held in 2025. Undoubtedly, such political and diplomatic activism and zeal are facilitated by the honorable work of the respective embassies, assiduously engaged in organizing events, meetings and activities in support of the already rich political agenda. In short, it is to be expected that in the near future, the number of meetings between the political leaders will further increase, as well as the institutional appointments and public initiatives.
