The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, held talks today at the Farnesina with the Turkish Minister for Trade, Ömer Bolat. The meeting provided an opportunity to strengthen dialogue on bilateral economic and trade relations and to address the impact of the crisis in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz on international trade.
At the end of the meeting, the two ministers met with a selection of Italian companies with significant interests in the Turkish market, operating in the sectors of infrastructure and transport, defence and aerospace, energy, telecommunications and steel.
The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation, with particular emphasis on infrastructure development and transport links, opportunities for businesses, and collaboration in strategic sectors. The two ministers also discussed the issue of market access and economic relations between Turkey and the European Union, not least in the run-up to the forthcoming Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Affairs, to be held in Turkey.
Turkey is one of the priority countries identified in Export Action Plan. In 2025, trade between Italy and Turkey totalled EUR 26.1 billion, with Italian exports amounting to EUR 13.7 billion and imports reaching EUR 12.4 billion. Italian exports have recorded strong growth in recent months (+11.3 per cent in June and +6.6 per cent in July).
