Erdogan and Meloni discussed defense cooperation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni discussed bilateral relations, defense cooperation, and regional and global developments during a phone call.

In a statement issued on Friday, July 3, Turkey’s Directorate of Communications said Erdogan emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in all areas, particularly in the defense industry, and called for new steps to further expand bilateral ties.

According to the statement, Erdogan also expressed hope that the 36th NATO Summit, scheduled to be held in Ankara next week, would help reinforce unity and solidarity among alliance members.

The summit is set to take place on July 7 and 8, with leaders from NATO’s 32 member states and representatives of several invited countries expected to attend.

Meloni is also expected to participate in the meeting.

Economic and defense cooperation between Turkey and Italy has expanded in recent years.

Bilateral trade reached $32.2 billion in 2024, and both countries have set a goal of increasing that figure to $40 billion.

Recent developments in defense cooperation include collaboration between Turkey’s Baykar and Italy’s Leonardo on unmanned technologies, as well as Baykar’s acquisition of the Italian aerospace company Piaggio Aerospace.