DEFENCE COOPERATION

A formal diplomatic ceremony in Rome showing President Erdoğan in a dark suit walking alongside Prime Minister Meloni in a light mint-colored outfit on a red carpet. They are being escorted by a military officer as they pass an Italian honor guard with ceremonial weapons and white gloves. The Italian flag is visible in the background during this official state visit at the Fourth Türkiye-Italy Intergovernmental Summit

Erdoğan and Meloni’s calculated embrace: How Türkiye is rewriting Mediterranean alliances

02/05/202501/05/2025

The fourth Türkiye-Italy summit yielded defence pacts, energy deals, and veiled EU diplomacy—as Ankara exploits Rome’s pragmatism to circumvent European skepticism. The Turkish press framed it as a strategic masterstroke