Erdogan to Attend G7 Leaders' Summit in Italy; Saudi Crown Prince Likely to be Invited

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, is one of the leaders added to the guest list for the upcoming G7 summit in Italy, known as the 'Group of 7'. According to Reuters, Italy is looking to expand this gathering beyond the seven industrial democracies of the world. The news agency previously reported on the invitation of several African and South American countries to this summit. The G7 includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union, and its leaders' summit will be held from June 14 to 16 in Borgo Egnazia in the southeastern region of Puglia. The Italian government, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the summit, also announced on Wednesday that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, will participate in this meeting. Sources informed by Reuters have stated that Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, may also attend the upcoming G7 leaders' summit, although this has not yet been officially confirmed. Critics say that the G7 has become a club of elites from wealthy countries. For this reason, the group has been inviting other global leaders for several years, hoping to reach a consensus on important issues such as the Ukraine war and relations with China. Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, will also be among those attending the upcoming G7 leaders' summit in Italy and is expected to discuss the challenges of artificial intelligence. The G7 will use frozen Russian assets to assist Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury Secretary expressed concern over Israel's threat to sever ties with Palestinian banks. The U.S. Treasury Secretary called for the establishment of a 'wall of opposition' from the G7 against China's industrial policies. The G7 finance ministers condemned the Iranian government's attack on Israel.