Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi and Justice Minister Akın Gürlek were scheduled to depart for Belgium on Monday for a three-day visit. The delegation will hold talks with their Belgian counterparts, while Fidan will also meet with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
The ministers will attend the fourth meeting of the Turkish-Belgian foreign, justice and interior ministers on Tuesday. The meeting will also be attended by Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden and Minister of Asylum, Migration, Integration and Urban Policy Anneleen Van Bossuyt.
The third meeting of the ministers was held in Ankara 10 years ago. The upcoming meeting will focus on bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism, the defense industry, consular and visa services, migration, judicial cooperation and law enforcement, Foreign Ministry sources said Monday. The ministers will also exchange views on regional and international issues.
Separately, Fidan will address an event at the European Policy Centre think tank and meet with representatives of the business community.
Foreign Ministry sources said increased mutual contacts between Türkiye and Belgium in recent years had helped develop and deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields. Most recently, Queen Mathilde visited Türkiye from May 10 to 14, 2026, on an economy-focused trip, accompanied by a delegation that included Belgium’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, its minister of defense and foreign trade, and the prime ministers of the regional governments.
Trade volume between Türkiye and Belgium stood at $9.2 billion in 2025, with the two countries aiming to increase it to $15 billion. Earlier this month, Belgium hosted the EU-Türkiye Business Summit. Approximately 300,000 Turkish citizens living in Belgium serve as an important bridge between the two countries, the sources said.
The year 2026 has so far been fruitful for Turkish-Belgian relations, with nine defense-related agreements signed during high-level talks in Ankara.