İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay met with Giuseppe Manzo, Ambassador of Italy to Türkiye, on the occasion of Italy’s National Day. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the longstanding friendship between Türkiye and Italy, as well as opportunities to strengthen cultural and economic cooperation. Mayor Tugay emphasized the importance of further enhancing bilateral ties through reciprocal visits and closer collaboration.

Mayor Tugay attended the reception hosted at Swissôtel Büyük Efes İzmir to mark Italy’s National Day. Prior to the event, he met with Ambassador Giuseppe Manzo and his delegation, exchanging views on Turkish-Italian relations and future cooperation opportunities between the two countries. The meeting was also attended by Dr. Daniele Bianchi, Consul of Italy in İzmir, senior officials from İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, representatives of the business community, and numerous invited guests.

Ambassador Manzo: “I Feel at Home in İzmir”
Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Giuseppe Manzo noted that he had visited many parts of Türkiye and said that İzmir was one of the places where he felt most at home. Ambassador Manzo suggested establishing a sister-city partnership between İzmir and an Italian city, emphasizing that the Mediterranean serves as a shared cultural and historical bond between the two nations. He also highlighted the strong trade relations between Türkiye and Italy, noting that bilateral import and export volumes continue to grow each year, with İzmir playing an important role in this process. Pointing out that Italy is among the most popular destinations for Turkish students pursuing education in Europe, Manzo stressed the importance of expanding Italian-language education opportunities in İzmir. He underlined that young people and students would play a key role in strengthening future relations and called for greater cooperation in the field of education.

Mayor Tugay Highlights Cooperation Opportunities
Mayor Tugay expressed his appreciation for Ambassador Manzo’s visit and his interest in İzmir, while emphasizing the strong and longstanding ties between Türkiye and Italy. Stressing that İzmir deserves greater international recognition, Tugay noted that sister-city relations should go beyond formal protocols and be built on shared values and tangible cooperation projects. He described economic relations as one of the strongest links between countries, while also emphasizing the importance of cultural exchange. According to Tugay, mutual understanding and joint projects help strengthen international relations, making interaction among scientists, universities, artists, and athletes particularly valuable.

Expressing his desire to work closely with Italy, Mayor Tugay said: “I have visited Italy many times and even had the opportunity to work for two weeks at a clinic there. Italy is one of my favorite countries. We would be delighted to strengthen our cooperation at the local government level as well. Let us deepen our relations through reciprocal visits and continue this friendship and cooperation together with our delegations.”

Italy’s National Day Celebrated in İzmir
Following the meeting, guests proceeded to the reception venue. The program began with opening and welcome remarks by Dr. Daniele Bianchi, Consul of Italy in İzmir. Ambassador Giuseppe Manzo then addressed attendees on the occasion of Italy’s National Day. The evening continued with an a cappella concert, providing a fitting conclusion to the celebration.
 

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