Renewed EU-Turkey ties in our mutual best interest: Italian envoy

A renewed relationship between Turkey and the European Union will be in the mutual interest of both sides in line with the positive agenda adopted in the recent EU Council meeting, Italy's ambassador to Ankara has said, underlining that reforms to be announced soon in the field of rule of law will be welcomed by the EU.

Massimo Gaiani, Italy's ambassador to Ankara, has outlined the scope of Turkish-Italian bilateral relations, the current state of play between Turkey and the EU as well as the discussions about the past year's tensions in the eastern Mediterranean in an exclusive interview with the Hürriyet Daily News.

Italy has a new government, and it was remarkable to observe that Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi praised the ties with Turkey as both a partner in the Mediterranean basin and a NATO ally. How would you describe the importance of the collaboration with Turkey for Italy?

Turkey is certainly a priority for Italy's foreign policy and has been one of the very few countries mentioned by Prime Minister Draghi in presenting, a few weeks ago, the government program to the Italian Parliament. The cornerstone of our international projection are the EU, NATO and the Mediterranean basin, where we will continue to push for renewed dialogue and a peaceful settlement of any dispute.

For Italy, Turkey is a close partner and an essential actor in the Mediterranean Region, a crucial ally in NATO and is also very important for the EU. Rome and Ankara are constantly acting together for the reinforcement of the Southern flank of NATO. We believe that a renewed relationship between the EU and Turkey is in our mutual best interest, as Ankara is important for our economy, for our security and for regional stability. That is...