Turkey's FM heads to Italy amid rising tensions with Greece over EastMed, Libya
The top Turkish diplomat is set to meet with his Italian counterpart, as Ankara seeks deeper cooperation with Rome amid a rivalry with Greece and ongoing Libya diplomacy.
ANKARA — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan heads to Italy on Thursday in a bid to bolster Ankara’s ties with Rome, as tensions with Greece escalate over the Eastern Mediterranean and influence in Libya.
Fidan will meet with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, and address an Italian think tank as part of a two-day visit, a Turkish diplomatic source told journalists on Wednesday.
Fidan is expected to explore ways to strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on defense industry collaboration, trade and regional issues, the source said.
Fidan’s visit comes as tensions between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean continue to escalate. Ankara views Italy as a key European counterbalance to Greece in its historical territorial disputes with Athens.
