The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Italian ambassador Massimo Gaiani over Draghi's remarks about Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Gaiani, who has been serving as the Italian ambassador in Ankara since January 2019, was summoned over Draghi's remarks, in which he called Erdoğan a "dictator."

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu condemned Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s remarks about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“We strongly condemn Italy's appointed Prime Minister Draghi's unacceptable, populist and ugly remarks about our President, who was chosen through elections,” tweeted Çavuşoğlu.

During a press conference held on the afternoon of Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Draghi said: “Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a dictator that is needed. I do not agree with his behavior at all. It was a behavior that I am very sorry for the humiliation that the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had to suffer.” (ILKHA)