The friendship between Italy and Turkey is “stronger today than ever before.” With these words, Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli opened the ceremony for the 103rd anniversary of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Rome.
The big picture: Natural allies and Mediterranean bridges. The event provided an opportunity to reaffirm the depth of a relationship that unites the two nations not only on political and economic dossiers, but through centuries of shared historical and cultural roots.
- Shared roots and identity: Evoking the vision of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Cirielli highlighted how Italy and Turkey share a natural calling as crossroads and bridges in the Mediterranean, anchored by ties dating back to the era of the maritime republics.
- An extraordinary year: The Deputy Minister described the past year as exceptional for bilateral cooperation,grounded in the conviction that diplomacy and dialogue are the only pathways to security and prosperity — a momentum underscored by the successful NATO summit in Ankara and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s recent ministerial in Istanbul.
Between the lines: Trade targets and strategic synergies. Turkey’s Ambassador to Italy, Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen, pointed to the renewed synergy in the partnership, driven by over 15 high-level Turkish delegations welcomed in Rome over the past year and expanding collaboration across defense, energy, culture, and trade.
- Commercial target: A key priority shared by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is the ambitious goal to raise bilateral trade volume to $40 billion.
- Upcoming milestones: Looking ahead, the Ambassador noted high expectations for a prominent Italian delegation attending COP31 next month in Antalya.
Why it matters: The alignment between Rome and Ankara extends far beyond bilateral trade. As NATO allies and G20 partners, Italy and Turkey are uniquely positioned to exercise shared leadership in safeguarding stability across the broader Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Africa.
