Italy's Meloni invites Erdoğan for 2025 summit, voices concern over Mideast conflicts

ANKARA

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday to visit Italy in the first half of 2025 for a new session of the Italy-Türkiye Intergovernmental Summit.

During a phone call, Meloni and Erdoğan focused on the strength of bilateral relations, underlining the importance of continuing to work to further consolidate the steadily growing trend in trade, said a statement by the Italian government.

While reaffirming Israel's right to defend itself, Meloni however stressed the need to increase humanitarian aid to the civilian populations affected by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

The two leaders also highlighted their common commitment to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and in Lebanon.

"With regard to the latter, Meloni underscored the crucial role played by UNIFIL and the need for the safety of this mission to be guaranteed at all times," the statement added.

According to a separate statement by Türkiye's Communications Directorate, Erdoğan praised Rome's response to Israel's "aggression" in the region, stressing Türkiye's "determined efforts for peace" in the Middle East.

He also told Meloni that support from Rome would strengthen Ankara's hand in efforts at the U.N. to halt arms sales to Israel.

"President Erdoğan underlined the importance of the international community acting together to stop Israeli aggression and noted that Italy's support for Türkiye's initiative at the U.N. to halt arms sales to Israel would strengthen this effort," the statement said.

Erdoğan said that Israel's attacks on Palestinian territories, including Gaza, as well as its assaults on Lebanon and the U.N. peacekeepers there are "unacceptable."

Israel has mounted a huge air campaign in Lebanon since last month against what it says are Hezbollah targets, in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group since the start of Israel's offensive on Gaza.

At least 2,546 people have been killed and more than 11,860 injured in Israeli attacks since October last year, according to Lebanese health authorities. Israel expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 this year by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon.