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Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said he hopes to see Turkish-made drones in Belgian airspace, telling Türkiye Today during NATO's Defense Industry Forum at ATO Congresium, held as part of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit.
The minister said that Belgium and Türkiye "are working good together."
Asked whether his recent visit to Istanbul could foreshadow a defense procurement deal, Francken said, "I hope so; we'll see."
Commenting on Brussels' approach to NATO's 5% defense spending target, Francken said, "We are stepping up incredibly, so we are doing the biggest increase in our defense spending among all NATO members. For the moment, we will obtain the 5%, but we have time until 2035, so we still have some years to go."
Francken visited Turkish drone maker Baykar's Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul in May 2026, alongside Belgium's Queen Mathilde and business representatives, as part of the Belgian Economic Mission.
Francken shared remarks on social media after the visit, praising Istanbul's economic energy and Baykar's role in defense technology.
"Istanbul is boiling with entrepreneurial spirit and dynamism," Francken said, adding that "the future of defense is also being shaped here."
"Yesterday, I visited Baykar with the Queen and our entrepreneurs. This defense company holds a unique place within NATO because it has made continuous innovation a core principle," he wrote.
Francken said Baykar began as a small company in the 1980s before growing into a multibillion-euro defense giant founded by two brothers "from scratch." "How? By always staying one step ahead. Almost by reading the future," he said.
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Francken said Belgium is conducting operations in Congo and Guinea and took out a vessel in what he described as the shadow fleet.
He said Belgium is one of the biggest supporters and contributors to Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression, and is part of both the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine and the Coalition of the Willing on the Strait of Hormuz.
Francken said Belgium sent a minesweeper vessel to Djibouti, ready to be deployed.
"We are doing a lot; we are trying to be very operational. Belgium is back!" he said.
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