President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey has extended his congratulations to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as her administration achieved a historic milestone, becoming the longest-serving government in the Italian Republic’s history. Erdoğan commended Meloni for this significant achievement and expressed optimism about the continued strengthening of ties between Turkey and Italy. This development marks a momentous occasion as Meloni’s government has surpassed the previous record held by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s second government, which remained in power for 1,412 consecutive days from 2001 to 2005.
Meloni, who made history as Italy’s first female prime minister upon taking office in October 2022, has fostered a close working relationship with Erdoğan. The two leaders have maintained regular dialogues focusing on enhancing bilateral relations and addressing regional challenges. Their partnership has been characterized by efforts to bolster cooperation across various sectors, including trade, investment, defense, energy, and migration. Both leaders have been proactive in coordinating strategies on significant regional issues, such as the situations in Libya and Ukraine.
In a noteworthy demonstration of their diplomatic collaboration, Erdoğan and Meloni co-chaired the fourth Türkiye-Italy Intergovernmental Summit held in Rome in April 2025. This summit was pivotal in signing several agreements aimed at fortifying their strategic and economic partnership. The agreements reflect the commitment of both nations to deepen their mutual interests and expand their cooperative endeavors.
The two leaders most recently convened during the NATO summit in Ankara in July, where they reaffirmed their shared vision of increasing trade and mutual investment. Discussions also emphasized enhancing cooperation in defense and other critical strategic sectors. These meetings underscore the solid foundation and forward momentum in Turkey-Italy relations under Meloni’s leadership, as both countries look to navigate and address global challenges collaboratively.