UPDATE - Italy likely to continue its longtime support for Türkiye's EU bid: President Erdogan

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY PRESIDENT ERDOGAN

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday expressed his belief that Italy, which he said has supported the country's EU membership bid "from the very beginning," will continue to do so.

Erdogan's remarks came during a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, where he attended the 4th Intergovernmental Summit between Türkiye and Italy.

Ankara will continue to strengthen cooperation with Italy, which has made significant progress in the defense industry, through new partnerships and projects, he added.

As two NATO allied countries and strategic partners, Erdogan said that the ties between the two nations have been improving since their first intergovernmental summit in 2008.

Stating that Ankara and Rome shares valuable alignment on important issues such as security of the Mediterranean, the situation in the Middle East, stability in Europe, and preservation of the transatlantic bond, Erdogan praised Meloni’s approach to many issues, which he said has had “a significant impact on this harmony.”

“Undoubtedly, another driving force behind these relations is economy and trade. As you know, Italy ranks among the top five countries in our foreign trade. Strong commercial ties we have established in many sectors – particularly in textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and machinery – have enabled us to surpass the $30 billion target we set at our 2022 summit,” he added.

He also announced that during the summit Ankara and Rome set a new bilateral trade volume target of $40 billion.

Expressing Türkiye’s readiness to work with Italy on energy projects in the Mediterranean which will benefit both countries as well as the region, Erdogan said that the country will continue its cooperation with Italy in the fight against irregular migration in the upcoming period."

Stating that they had discussed topics such as culture, education, sports, and visas during the meeting, Erdogan said that Cabinet ministers of the both countries had the the opportunity to directly consult with each other on many matters related to all these areas.

Saying that the meeting also addressed regional and global issues, Erdogan added that Türkiye will continue to work with Italy on long-term sustainable solutions to preserve stability and prosperity in the North African nation of Libya.

Ankara's priority is an immediate return to a ceasefire in Gaza, "where even the entry of humanitarian aid has not been allowed for the past two months," said Erdogan.

"In Syria, we are currently focused on the country's reconstruction, strengthening its institutions, and preserving its territorial integrity," the Turkish leader added.

In this context, we touched on Italy’s constructive role in Syria and especially the potential for Turkish-Italian cooperation in the reconstruction process. We agreed to continue consultations on this matter,” he said.

"In the context of Europe's security, we addressed the latest developments in Ukraine with the prime minister. We emphasized our strong support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. As a key actor in ensuring the security of the Black Sea, Türkiye will continue to contribute to efforts aimed at finding a solution.”