Italian Ambassador to Türkiye Giuseppe Manzo called for a greater European role in NATO and said Italy and Türkiye share priorities for security on the alliance’s eastern and southern flanks, Anadolu Agency reported in an interview with him.
Manzo described Türkiye as important to European security and said the countries should bring their bilateral relationship into more regional and international discussions. He also said Italy and Türkiye want a more transparent and democratic United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Defense cooperation and trade feature in the governments’ broader agenda. In a joint declaration dated April 29, 2025, Italy and Türkiye committed to closer defense cooperation and backed a greater role for NATO allies outside the European Union in EU defense efforts.
The declaration said bilateral trade surpassed a $30 billion target in 2024 and set a medium-term goal of $40 billion. Manzo described Italy as Türkiye’s largest trading partner in the Mediterranean and its second-largest in Europe.
Italy and Türkiye are also members of the Uniting for Consensus group. The group supports expanding elected seats on the UNSC while opposing the creation of new permanent seats.
