Belgium's top defense official on Monday stressed Türkiye's role in European security and said he does not believe in a "scenario without Türkiye," commending its robust defense industry and calling for greater cooperation.
"We need to cooperate with Türkiye. Türkiye has a really strong defense, strong defense industry, big companies," Belgium's Defense Minister Theo Francken said.
"Belgium is a smaller country. We don't have the same army, the same altitude of the army, we don't have the same skill," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) after attending a reception hosted by Türkiye's ambassador to Brussels, Barış Tantekin.
Francken said that both countries possess advanced technological infrastructure and stressed the importance of companies from Türkiye and Belgium coming together and networking.
On whether Europe could remain secure without Türkiye's participation in joint defense initiatives, Francken said: "Everybody who knows a bit about geopolitics knows that we need Türkiye because (of) the position they have in Europe, the strengths they show, the military capabilities that they have, that we don't have, also on technology, innovation, big companies that they have."
"We need Turkish people, we need Turkish industry, Turkish politics, Turkish diplomacy. I think that it's very important. I don't believe in a scenario without Türkiye within our framework, so we need to work together," he added.
On cooperation with Türkiye to counter rising drone activities in Belgium, Francken said: "I think that Türkiye is one of the countries who is the most progressive when we talk about innovation technology on drones."
He highlighted that Türkiye has played a pioneering role in this field alongside Ukraine, emphasizing that it has significant capabilities and a strong innovation capacity.
"We really can learn a lot from your country," Francken said, noting that collaboration could help Belgium address threats posed by hybrid warfare involving drones.
Francken attended the Türkiye-Belgium Defense Industry Day on Monday, after which he hailed Türkiye as a country with "a rapidly growing defense potential and a dynamic industry renowned worldwide."
"Türkiye is a country with a rapidly growing defense potential and a dynamic industry that is renowned worldwide. This event offers a unique opportunity to discover these possibilities more in details," Francken said in a post on the social media platform X.
Tantekin noted that the cooperation contributes to the strategic goals of both countries, adding that today's meeting strengthens a bilateral, trust-based and constructive partnership rooted in historic friendship and strong alliance relations.
Speaking to AA, Francken described Türkiye-Belgium bilateral relations as "very good," noting that the two NATO members have always stood together strongly.
He said diplomatic and industry-focused contacts, including his summer visit to Türkiye, have progressed very well, saying: "I think that it will be a very fruitful year, 2026 will be really highlighting our relationship, our bilateral relationship between Türkiye and Belgium."
He shared that Belgium's Princess Astrid will lead a major economic and trade delegation to Türkiye in May 2026, with the visit expected to last about one week.
Francken also recalled that the NATO Leaders' Summit will be held in Ankara in July 2026, where many defense industry representatives, including Belgian companies, will attend.
He expressed hope that the summit would result in agreements in technology, defense and innovation, enabling both nations to advance in protecting their people and shared values.
