Newsletters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Belgian Queen Mathilde at Vahdettin Mansion in Istanbul on Monday, telling her that recent developments in the region "have once again proved the geopolitical significance of Türkiye-European Union relations."
President Erdogan also called for swift progress on updating the Customs Union, as Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken separately praised Baykar as "unique within NATO" after visiting the Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center.
According to the Turkish Presidency Directorate of Communications, Erdogan said Türkiye and Belgium have "substantial potential for cooperation across a wide range of areas, from trade and the defense industry to energy and agriculture," adding that efforts to advance bilateral relations would continue.
He also underlined that Türkiye's participation in the EU's defense initiatives was "in the mutual interest of all sides."
On EU accession, Erdogan said updating the Customs Union in line with current conditions was "a key area necessitating swift progress during the period leading up to Türkiye's full EU membership."
He also noted that Türkiye would host the NATO Leaders' Summit in Ankara on July 7-8 and COP31 on Nov. 9-20 this year, and cited Türkiye's ranking among Europe's leading countries in installed renewable energy capacity as an area of cooperation with Belgium.
Erdogan also expressed hope that Queen Mathilde's contacts with Turkish business circles would "yield concrete outcomes."
Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan was also present at the closed-door meeting.
Belgian Defense Minister Francken, writing on X following a visit to Baykar's Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center with Queen Mathilde and Belgian entrepreneurs, said: "This defense company has a unique place within NATO because it has made continuous innovation its core principle."
He described the company's growth from a small startup in the 1980s into a billion-euro corporation: "Two brothers built it from zero. How? By always being one step ahead. By reading the future, in a sense."
"The company became a pioneer in AI-integrated armed unmanned aerial vehicles. These systems keep getting better, flying higher and farther. Now Baykar is taking the inevitable next step: the unmanned fighter jet. Kizilelma is already in serial production and being exported," he added.
Francken also noted that he would highlight mutual investment opportunities for Belgian and Turkish investors and confirmed that 32 Belgium-Türkiye business agreements would be signed that evening.
On the Customs Union, Francken said, "If this framework is comprehensively updated, trade between us could grow much faster. Belgium also supports this call. Our companies should not miss this opportunity."
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
7 min read
