Business leaders focus on Erdoğan’s Italy visit for new deals

ANKARA

Turkish and Italian business leaders are gearing up for new opportunities as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan prepares to visit Italy on April 29, with expectations high for collaborations in defense, aviation, cybersecurity, energy and automotive sectors.

The fourth Türkiye-Italy Intergovernmental Summit, co-chaired by Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, will tackle diplomatic, political and economic ties, according to diplomatic sources.

A business forum during the visit will explore opportunities in defense, aviation, cybersecurity, energy, automotive and infrastructure, while also eyeing joint ventures in third countries.

Bilateral trade hit $32 billion last year, with Türkiye exporting $12.9 billion to Italy and importing $19.3 billion. The robust trade, coupled with growing defense sector ties, is seen as a springboard for ambitious goals.

The visit, accompanied by ministers and business figures, is expected to yield new agreements.

Lale Cander, chair of the Türkiye-Italy Business Council at the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), told state-run Anadolu Agency that Italy ranks among Türkiye’s top five export markets.

She highlighted potential in automotive, machinery, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, energy, defense, aviation and space.

“Some 1,610 Italian firms, with $5 billion in investments, operate in Türkiye across automotive, energy, infrastructure, logistics, banking and food,” Cander said.

“Turkish firms are also making strides in Italy’s textile, food, and automotive subsectors, with a shift toward high-tech and R&D investments.”

Cander noted the council’s push for cooperation in digital transformation, energy and the green economy, as well as consortia for projects in Africa and the Middle East. The forum, set to draw 500 business representatives, aims to solidify trade deals.

A recent partnership between Türkiye’s Baykar and Italy’s Leonardo in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology underscores the growing defense ties.

“This deal strengthens Türkiye’s standing in the $100 billion European UAV market,” Cander said, noting plans for joint production facilities in both countries to boost technology transfer and supply chain integration.

Valeria Giannotta, scientific director at CeSPI’s Türkiye Observatory, praised the balanced trade trajectory.

She called the Baykar-Leonardo deal a milestone for strategic partnerships, reducing reliance on global powers.

“Türkiye and Italy share a need to develop supply chains in steel and chemicals to bolster industrial autonomy,” Giannotta said.

“Their synergy fosters regional integration, with Italy aiding Türkiye’s European access and Türkiye opening doors to the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.”