Since this Monday 26 October, Georges-Louis Bouchez, MR President, has been visiting Istanbul and Ankara. Accompanied by Hennan Oflu, Brussels MP, and Safa Akyol, alderman in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, he met political leaders and business executives there to discuss relations between Belgium and Turkey.
He held talks notably with Turkish Vice-President Cevdet Yılmaz, the Speaker of Parliament Numan Kurtulmuş, and several ministers, including Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi. He also met the Governor of Istanbul, Davut Gül, and, in Ankara, Belgium's Ambassador to Turkey, Hendrik Van de Velde.
The economy and industry were at the heart of the trip, with a meeting of entrepreneurs from the CEO Platform. The MR President also visited Teknopark Istanbul, dedicated to innovation and research.
This mission also made room for defence, with visits to FNSS, Turkish Aerospace and ASELSAN, as well as a meeting with the Turkish presidency of defence industries.
“Turkey is a strategic partner, notably within NATO. We must strengthen our ties and our mutual investments, particularly in the defence industry. The presence of a large and entrepreneurial diaspora in Belgium must also serve as a lever to strengthen our trade and economic relations. Several concrete projects for business establishment and for promoting Belgian-Turkish relations were worked on during this mission. I am committed to ensuring their follow-up.”