Belgian Ambassador to Türkiye Hendrik Van de Velde said Eskişehir and Emirdağ, a district of Afyonkarahisar, held special significance for him and added, “A very large part of Belgium’s Turkish community of nearly 300,000 people traces its family roots to this wider region. In a way, I would like Eskişehir to become Belgium’s darling in Türkiye.”
Van de Velde said he had been working with tremendous energy to strengthen relations between Türkiye and Belgium and continued, “There are simply not enough days in the year to carry out everything we want to do, all the projects. But it is a joy to serve in Türkiye, a country with which I have fallen in love. I have even begun learning your beautiful language. And I must confess, Turkish is proving more difficult than dancing the Erik Dalı.”
Ambassador Hendrik Van de Velde and his wife, Helene Van de Velde, hosted the reception at the Belgian Embassy in Ankara. Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü and numerous guests attended the event.
After the national anthems of Türkiye and Belgium and the anthem of the European Union, Van de Velde addressed the guests and spoke about relations between the two countries.
Bilateral trade reaches €13 billion
Van de Velde said the relationship between Belgium and Türkiye had deepened remarkably and gained new momentum. He described the Belgian Economic Mission held in May as the clearest expression of this new momentum and added, “Belgium is already the eighth-largest foreign investor in Türkiye, and Türkiye is Belgium’s fifth-largest trading partner within the European Union. According to Eurostat figures, our bilateral trade in goods and services is reaching approximately €13 billion this year. More than 700 Belgian companies operate in Türkiye. That is significant.”
Without Türkiye’s defence industry, we would collectively be weaker
Van de Velde said Belgium supported Türkiye’s full inclusion in the European Union’s SAFE defence mechanism and stated, “Belgium supports Türkiye’s full inclusion in the European SAFE mechanism because, without Türkiye’s defence industry, we would collectively be weaker.”
Referring to Belgium’s role at the heart of Europe, Van de Velde added, “One of the most useful things Belgium can do is express its confidence in the Turkish nation and say clearly that Türkiye belongs to the European family. We do not say it often enough. Instead of endlessly debating the identity of Türkiye, we should create the practical conditions that will allow us to shape the future together.”
Belgians with roots in Emirdağ
Van de Velde said he had travelled extensively throughout Türkiye, both officially and with his family, and added, “It is through such journeys that one begins to understand Türkiye more deeply, more in reality. And this is what forged my conviction that we belong together. All of these journeys, every journey, has been extraordinary. But tonight, I would like to make a special mention of Eskişehir.”
Highlighting the close ties between the region and Belgium’s Turkish community, Van de Velde continued, “In a way, I would like Eskişehir to become Belgium’s darling in Türkiye. A very large part of Belgium’s Turkish community of nearly 300,000 people traces its family roots to this wider region, and especially to Emirdağ in Afyonkarahisar province.”
“I have fallen in love with this country”
Van de Velde pledged to continue working to make visa procedures easier and to learn Turkish and said, “We will continue working to make visa procedures easier. In the meantime, I promise you that I will learn Turkish. I have even begun learning your beautiful language.”
Referring to his efforts to learn the language and his experience in Türkiye, Van de Velde added, “And I must confess, Turkish is proving more difficult than dancing the Erik Dalı. As you can see, our relationship is moving forward with tremendous energy. There are simply not enough days in the year to carry out everything we want to do, all the projects. But it is a joy to serve in Türkiye, a country with which I have fallen in love.”
Minister Göktaş welcomed Belgium’s growing interest in Türkiye’s defence industry in recent years and said, “We believe this interest will make an important contribution to our countries’ defence capabilities and NATO’s deterrence.”
Referring to relations between Türkiye and the European Union, Göktaş added, “The challenges we face also require a new approach to Türkiye–European Union relations. We now need a broader, stronger and more institutionalised partnership.”
Eda Toprak took the stage after the speeches. Berika Karadağ, the lead singer of Nikbinler, then performed a short concert. At the end of the evening, Doğukan Manço stepped into the booth and performed a DJ set.
Van de Velde, who had danced the Erik Dalı with French Ambassador Isabelle Dumont at France’s National Day reception, once again danced after receiving numerous requests from guests.
