The third edition of the “Türkiye Century Investment Reception" series, hosted by the Investment Office, was held in Milan, following the likes of London and Paris. The distinguished representatives of Turkish and Italian business circles gathered at the reception, while the keynote addresses were delivered by the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye in Rome Ömer Gücük, Investment Office President A. Burak Dağlıoğlu and Deputy Minister for Enterprises and “Made in Italy" Valentino Valentini. The reception centered on Türkiye's investment opportunities, featuring one-on-one meetings with executives from the Turkish-Italian business community from diverse sectors.
Touching on the bilateral ties between Italy and Türkiye in his speech, Ambassador Ömer Gücük said, “The relations between Türkiye and Italy go back a long way due to our commercial relations in the Mediterranean. Backed by this long-standing collaboration, our bilateral economic and commercial relations are progressing steadily. In 2022, our trade volume reached a new high of USD 26 billion. Furthermore, thanks to our solid common business culture that evolved over time, Turkish and Italian companies have recently forged successful partnerships together in third countries. We believe that our success stories will go full steam ahead in the years to come. We are pleased to bring our companies together at this event, which we cohosted with the Investment Office to commemorate our Republic's 100th anniversary."
For his part, Investment Office President A. Burak Dağlıoğlu stated that the ever-growing economic relations between Italy and Türkiye contributed significantly to the two countries' investment environment, adding, “On the occasion of our Republic's 100th anniversary, we are continuing our investor receptions in Milan in collaboration with our Embassy and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), with representatives of the Italian business community in attendance. Türkiye and Italy have solid investment cooperation due to their shared deep roots in various areas, such as economy, politics, and culture. Over 1,500 Italian companies operate in Türkiye, with Italy-based companies having invested more than USD 5 billion in our country over the last two decades. As we step into the Türkiye Century under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we will work diligently to boost Italian FDI inflows in Türkiye. Türkiye's value proposition for Italian companies encompasses a lucrative growth platform, teaming up opportunities in third countries, and a strong commitment to cementing bilateral business partnerships, particularly in advanced manufacturing and technology."
In his remarks on Türkiye and Italy's shared potential for strategic cooperation, Deputy Minister Valentini noted, "Italy and Türkiye are two states with deep-seated and historical ties between their people and governments. Italy ranks among Türkiye's top FDI sources: it is the country's 7th largest supplier and 5th largest customer, with a substantial presence of Italian companies across the country. In addition, we have vast potential to further expand our economic relations, not to mention the possibility of boosting Turkish investments in Italy, which are currently undersized in comparison to Italian investments in Türkiye. Building our economies' future can only be possible by identifying common interests and challenges, and further strengthening our cooperation in strategic industries, such as green energy and digitalization."
Emphasizing the importance of the sustainability model, Bain & Company Associate Partner Armando Guastella said, “Sustainability is widely considered by business leaders as a strategic leverage to create value and uncover new products and business models. It is now rightly understood as an opportunity and can no longer be considered as just a matter of compliance or solely as a reputational factor. Setting clear ambitions and targets is crucial in obtaining the right level of commitment from the management team and embedding the ESG DNA within the company decision making process. However, still several barriers, with both external and internal factors, are in place to faster the transformation journey. Despite some challenges, Türkiye is in a good position to seize the opportunities of the sustainability revolution. ESG is not a solo game, and this country will win this marathon thanks to a young workforce ready to embrace change, a high level of digital maturity, and rich supplies of natural resources."
Meanwhile, Pirelli Institutional Affairs Senior Vice President Aimone di Savoia Aosta commented on the reception, saying “I am honored to represent Pirelli on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye. Pirelli's presence in Türkiye is certainly a success story, owing to the collaboration between all institutions and stakeholders, especially our people. Today, Pirelli in Türkiye can rely on a highly qualified and passionate team that is spread across the country."