Minister Çiftçi asks Italy’s Piantedosi to extradite crime bosses

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi told his Italian counterpart, Matteo Piantedosi, whom he hosted in Ankara, that they considered the rejection of extradition requests on human rights grounds unacceptable. Piantedosi proposed establishing joint investigation teams between the two countries.

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi hosted Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and his delegation in Ankara on November 4. Following a one-on-one meeting, the two ministers held interdelegation talks on irregular migration, migrant smuggling, counterterrorism, new-generation organized crime groups and the extradition of criminals.

Çiftçi stressed that combating cross-border threats was possible "through strong international solidarity and effective cooperation." He said they had shared their expectations regarding joint efforts against irregular migration in the Mediterranean, preventing the financing of terrorist organizations and the extradition of crime bosses from Italy.

Minister Çiftçi and his Italian counterpart Piantedosi during their one-on-one meeting in Ankara

"Deportation could be considered"

According to a statement from the Interior Ministry, the main agenda item was the extradition of new-generation crime bosses detained in Italy and members of far-left terrorist organizations. Çiftçi said they considered the rejection of extradition requests on the grounds of "insufficient conditions complying with human rights" unacceptable. He said the deportation procedure under Italian law could be evaluated and requested information on whether those whose extradition had been rejected had been released or had moved to another country.

According to the ministry, Piantedosi pledged to take a firm stance against new-generation crime groups. Saying that these gangs were clashing with one another and carrying out assassination attempts in Italy, Piantedosi said they were dissatisfied with the decisions of the Italian judiciary and proposed establishing joint investigation and research teams.

The ministry did not name anyone. One of the best-known examples of the extradition dispute between the two countries concerns Barış Boyun. Italian media reported that Boyun, who was wanted by Türkiye, was arrested in Rimini in 2022, but Italian courts rejected the extradition request. Boyun was arrested again in Viterbo in May 2024 as part of an investigation by the Milan anti-mafia prosecutor’s office.

Çiftçi also requested that Italy recognize FETÖ as a terrorist organization.

Rome: Irregular arrivals from Türkiye nearly halted

Italy’s Interior Ministry also announced that information sharing between police forces had produced significant results against transnational criminal networks and that irregular migrant arrivals from Türkiye to Italy had "nearly fallen to zero" this year. The statement said Turkish authorities were also supporting the transit through Istanbul of foreign nationals sent back from Italy to third countries. The Turkish side stressed that crossings along this route had declined steadily since 2022.

The Turkish and Italian delegations together at the Interior Ministry

Piantedosi said the two countries were connected by "a solid friendship supported by strong alignment between our leaders and political dialogue reinforced by the April 2025 Intergovernmental Summit." Piantedosi also met with Italian officials working at international organizations in Türkiye and within the EU. No agreement signed during the visit was announced.

Photos and video: Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Türkiye

Minister Çiftçi asks Italy’s Piantedosi to extradite crime bosses