Ambassador Manzo Prioritizes Cultural Diplomacy to Strengthen Türkiye-Italy Ties

Giuseppe Manzo, who began his tenure as Italy's Ambassador to Türkiye on January 19, 2026, is actively focusing diplomatic engagement on cultural exchange and the arts as essential components for building strong bilateral connections. Ambassador Manzo articulates a vision of diplomacy that prioritizes cultivating positive human rapport over purely political maneuvering, a philosophy he immediately demonstrated by including his family in his inaugural official reception. He utilizes a comprehensive set of Italian identity markers—including fine art, music, cinema, gastronomy, and design, alongside significant industrial capabilities—to represent the nation abroad.

For 2026, the Ambassador's primary objective is to showcase these diverse manifestations of Italian achievement to Turkish society through established frameworks, notably the 'Invest Your Talent in Italy' scholarship program. This educational initiative, supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency, offers foreign students Master's and Postgraduate courses in fields such as Engineering, Architecture, Design, Economics, and Management. A key feature of the program is the inclusion of a crucial three-to-four-month on-the-job training period with prominent Italian corporations. Ambassador Manzo also stresses the importance of precise communication, cautioning that any vacuum in accurate messaging will be filled by disinformation, thus demanding absolute accuracy in all official discourse.

The year 2026 marks the 170th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Italy, initially established in 1856. Manzo frames this relationship as a continuous cultural narrative spanning centuries, noting that Italy maintains an embassy in Ankara and consulates in Istanbul and İzmir, while Turkey operates its embassy in Rome. Both nations share a strategic imperative to ensure the Mediterranean Sea remains a vital crossroads for dialogue connecting the three continents it geographically unites. This cultural diplomacy approach is grounded in education and the creation of tangible opportunities, recognizing that the most durable international bonds often originate from personal experiences.

The 'Invest Your Talent in Italy' program exemplifies this strategy, offering selected students from eligible countries, including Turkey, a net grant of €1,000 monthly for nine months, in addition to tuition fee exemptions. Historically, Italian-Turkish relations have involved periods of both conflict and cooperation, with Italy being the first major power to establish friendly relations with the Turkish Republic following the Turkish War of Independence in 1921. Ambassador Manzo's current strategy builds upon this deep foundation, employing soft power—the attraction derived from culture, aesthetics, and taste—to foster mutual respect and trust, thereby creating a durable foundation for broader stability and growth for both Italian and Turkish citizens and enterprises.