ISTANBUL
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Italian companies Tuesday to see Türkiye as a gateway to Asia, the Middle East and Africa, just like Turkish firms see Italy as a gateway to Europe.
Türkiye's economy continues to grow despite conflict and wars in the region as well as the devastating earthquake of 2023, Erdogan said during a business forum in Rome.
Noting that the world is going through a period where greater protectionism and turning inward are being discussed in the economy, he said: “We are all following the mutual showdowns taking place over customs tariffs. We are striving to manage this dynamic environment successfully for the Turkish economy and even turn it into an opportunity.”
“We emerged unscathed from similar past challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we believe we will achieve the same success and have full confidence in the Turkish economy,” he added.
Ankara is determined to implement its economic program, Erdogan said, adding that it is committed to both improving the investment climate and implementing structural reforms.
"We believe it would be in our best interest to increase our joint efforts, particularly to secure our share in the expected expansion of the security and defense sector in Europe,” the president said.
Highlighting the importance of the 3rd Term Meeting of the Türkiye–Italy Joint Economic and Trade Committee, which will take place before the end of 2025, Erdogan said: "We feel the need to update our Customs Union with the EU in a way that aligns with changing global economic conditions in order to realize the full potential of our trade and economic relations."
Emphasizing that they expect the support of the Italian government and business circles for an update that would benefit both sides under a win-win approach, he added: "On the other hand, we see that the difficulties our business community faces regarding visas are hindering our economic relations. I believe it would be in both parties’ interest for the Italian business community to raise this issue with EU institutions. In conclusion, I believe that today’s business forum will pave the way for new ventures and strong partnerships."
