BELGIAN AMBASSADOR HENDRIK VAN DE VELDE: “WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER”
A queen-led Belgian business mission will travel to Istanbul and Ankara from 10 to 14 May, aiming to strengthen economic and trade ties between the two countries. Speaking ahead of the visit, Hendrik Van de Velde said the delegation of 450 participants representing 200 companies reflects strong confidence in the Turkish economy and a clear desire to deepen engagement with Türkiye.
Recalling that the last official economic mission took place in 2012, Van de Velde said, “Belgium is an industrial country that has always relied on trade and exports. Türkiye ranks fourth among our export destinations and trading partners outside the European Union. The last visit was in 2012, 14 years ago, and we believe this mission is long overdue. After these 14 years, we are very pleased to be hosted by Türkiye. We feel that the doors are wide open, we have been very well received, and we have long been looking forward to returning in force to strengthen this deep and longstanding economic relationship.”
KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
Van de Velde said the delegation is notably large and outlined its priorities: “The first area is pharmaceuticals and life sciences, where Belgium has strong expertise. The second is logistics. The third is digital transformation, followed by energy and the green transition. Finally, defense and space technologies are highly important for both sides. These areas reflect both the needs of our countries and the strengths of our economies. Economic missions of this scale offer an important opportunity to highlight Belgium’s capabilities and enhance its visibility.”
WE FACE THE SAME CHALLENGES
Emphasizing that the size of the delegation signals trust in Türkiye’s economy and a willingness to build closer ties, Van de Velde said, “Türkiye is a European economy, part of the broader European economic system, and more than 50 percent of its GDP is linked to Europe. We are stronger together. Strength comes from unity. We face the same competition and the same challenges. We share common issues such as high energy prices, and neither Europe nor Türkiye has significant fossil energy resources. We are stronger together. That is the message we want to convey, and we are demonstrating it not only in words but in action.”
LET’S NOT DWELL ON THE PAST
Noting that other European Union member states are taking similar steps, Van de Velde said, “This sends a clear message: let us come together, not dwell on the past, and not focus on political differences. Instead, let us focus on what we do best, working together. We have always done this successfully, and this approach will deliver results and bring us even closer.”
Van de Velde also underlined the strength of economic ties between Belgium and Türkiye, noting that Belgium ranks fifth or sixth among EU member states in terms of trade volume with Türkiye, with bilateral trade reaching €13 billion.
KING OF THE BELGIANS
Providing insight into the royal family, Van de Velde described it as a symbol of the Belgian nation: “It represents unity and has become a symbol of respect, solidarity, harmony, and cohesion among different segments of society. Historically, the Belgian Constitution dates back to 1831, adopted one year after the Belgian Revolution of 1830. We are historically attached to a king or queen because the Belgian people chose to establish a monarchy. Unlike in older European countries, where monarchs gradually granted freedoms to the people, Belgium experienced a revolution and then chose to appoint a king as head of state. That is why we say not ‘King of Belgium’ but ‘King of the Belgians.’”
