Trade Minister Bolat met with Tajani, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister responsible for foreign trade, in Rome, where he was visiting for official meetings.
Bolat and Tajani chaired an interdelegation meeting at the ministry. Following the meeting, the two officials attended a meeting with Turkish and Italian businesspeople.
Bolat was accompanied during his meetings in Rome by Deputy Trade Minister Mustafa Tuzcu and Türkiye’s Ambassador to Rome Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen.
Economic cooperation was on the agenda
Bolat said that he and Tajani discussed bilateral trade and economic relations, mutual investments, and opportunities for Turkish and Italian companies to cooperate in third countries.
The meeting also addressed steps that could be taken to develop cooperation in space and defense technologies, critical raw materials, energy, telecommunications, transport and infrastructure.
Bolat said the European Union’s recent trade, industry and competition policies were also discussed. Bolat said Italy is Türkiye’s second-largest trading partner among EU countries and noted that Türkiye-Italy relations are important for Türkiye-EU relations.
Customs Union and industrial policies discussed
The meeting assessed the importance of ensuring the proper functioning of the Customs Union and expanding economic integration to cover areas such as public procurement, digital trade and services.
Bolat also said he conveyed Türkiye’s views and expectations to Tajani regarding the EU’s new industrial policies and the “Made in EU” approach. Bolat said that, in addition to being a Customs Union partner and candidate country, Türkiye is part of European industrial and supply chains as a NATO ally. He stressed that protecting production and supply networks in the automotive sector is important for the competitiveness of Türkiye and Europe.
Target of $40 billion in trade
Bolat said bilateral trade between Türkiye and Italy approached $30 billion in 2025. He said work was continuing toward the $40 billion target set by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Bolat announced that trade between Türkiye and Italy exceeded $19 billion in the first eight months of 2026. He said they would continue developing economic integration through joint projects and contributing to Türkiye-EU relations and regional and global stability, particularly in the Mediterranean.
