Italy-Turkey: tomorrow Draghi at Erdogan, focus on Ukraine, food and gas crisis
Prime Minister Mario Draghi will arrive in Ankara tomorrow for the third Italian-Turkish intergovernmental summit: the last one took place in Rome in May 2012. After the ‘sofa accident’ has now passed, the meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is part of an overall relaunch of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, which is already very intense on various fronts. Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, in particular, contacts between the foreign ministries of the two countries continue. In addition to Prime Minister Draghi – who met with President Erdoğan on the sidelines of the G20 in Rome and the NATO summits in Brussels – the Head of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio, the head of Defense Lorenzo Guerini, the Minister of the Interior Luciana will also be present in Ankara. Lamorgese, and the ministers Giancarlo Giorgetti (Mise) and Roberto Cingolani (Mite). During the summit, agreements and memoranda of understanding will be signed in areas ranging from cooperation in foreign affairs and defense to support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, from sustainable development to the recognition of driving licenses. The Summit also represents an important opportunity to coordinate efforts on the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine, with a keen eye on the food crisis triggered by the blockade of cereals in silos, and on the crisis in Libya. Another chapter of bilateral relations concerns the migration issue: in 2021, irregular migrants arriving in Italy on the eastern Mediterranean route departing from Turkey more than tripled. The two governments are working to make dialogue on this issue more regular and structured “.
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