King’s Day, held in honor of Dutch King Willem-Alexander’s birthday, was celebrated with a reception in Ankara. The event took place at the residence of the Dutch Embassy. Guests were asked to wear accessories in the color of the Netherlands, orange.
Many guests attended the evening, including Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş, ambassadors, foreign mission representatives, and other invitees.
CLOSE TO A MILLION PEOPLE OF TURKISH ORIGIN LIVE IN THE NETHERLANDS
Dutch Ambassador Joep Wijnands, who hosted the event, talked about the King’s Day: “This day is special for every Dutch person because it is our national holiday where we celebrate His Majesty King Willem-Alexander’s birthday. That means everyone wears orange and we have a great time together.
Celebrating this day here is especially meaningful—not only because of the strong and good relations between the Netherlands and Türkiye, but also because of the large Turkish community in the Netherlands. More than half a million people of Turkish origin live there. That makes celebrating today with many guests of Turkish descent and Dutch citizenship even more meaningful.”
I’VE ALMOST BECOME TURKISH
The ambassador, who has served in Türkiye for two and a half years, said: “I’ve become Turkish because I can’t go without tea anymore. I’m a supporter of Ankaragücü. I’ve learned a lot about Turkish hospitality. And when my wife asks me to go grocery shopping, I usually say ‘bakarız’(we’ll see). It’s a very useful word.”
23% OF DIRECT INVESTMENTS COME FROM THE NETHERLANDS
Addressing the relations between the two countries, Wijnands said: “Our commercial ties are strong. They go back 400 years, to when we started trading. Today, we are the largest foreign investor in Türkiye. 23% of direct foreign investments come from the Netherlands.
But this relationship is not one-sided. The Netherlands is also one of the top destinations for Turkish business investments. We are not only trade partners, we are also NATO allies. And that’s critically important given today’s geopolitical challenges.”
FINANCIAL UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES
Minister Mehmet Şimşek also gave a speech during the night. He pointed out that the friendship between the two countries goes back nearly five centuries. Şimşek emphasized that the Netherlands is one of Türkiye’s most important economic partners. He stated that the trade volume between the two countries reached 13 billion dollars last year.
Şimşek also said the Netherlands is the biggest foreign investor in Türkiye, and that 1.3 million Dutch citizens visited Türkiye in 2024. He stressed that we are living in a time of increasing uncertainty. Since the global financial crisis, protectionism has risen, but today the uncertainty is even greater.
Şimşek noted that the Draghi report calls for a deeper capital markets union. He emphasized that the EU needs to reach out to its close neighbors, including Türkiye, to achieve stronger economic integration.
He said Türkiye is highly competitive in pursuing stronger economic ties with the EU. “Modernizing the Customs Union is a win-win step,” he said, “and it should not be blocked by the domestic politics in Europe.”
At the reception, Dutch-Turkish soprano Aylin Sezer performed the song “On the Canals of Amsterdam.” She then sang the national anthems of the Netherlands and Türkiye, accompanied by the Turkish Naval Forces Orchestra.
