Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Belgium’s Queen Mathilde on Monday that Turkey’s participation in European Union defense initiatives would serve the interests of all sides, as a Belgian economic mission to Turkey led by the queen opened with a focus on trade, defense and aerospace.
Erdoğan met with Queen Mathilde at the Vahdettin Mansion in İstanbul during the first leg of the Belgian economic mission taking place from May 10 to 14, Turkey’s Communications Directorate said.
First lady Emine Erdoğan also attended the closed-door meeting.
The Turkish president said recent regional developments had again shown the geopolitical importance of Turkey-European Union relations, according to the directorate.
He also said updating the Turkey-EU customs union was one of the areas where “rapid progress” was needed on Turkey’s path toward full EU membership.
Turkey has been an EU candidate country since 1999, but accession talks have been stalled for years because of disputes over democracy, human rights, Cyprus and Ankara’s foreign policy.
Erdoğan’s remarks came as European governments seek to increase defense production and reduce dependence on outside suppliers after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and amid doubts over long-term US security commitments.
Turkey, a NATO member since 1952, has expanded its defense industry in recent years, producing drones, armored vehicles, naval platforms and military aviation systems.
Queen Mathilde is leading Belgium’s first royal-level economic mission to Turkey in 14 years.
The mission includes Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, Defense and Foreign Trade Minister Theo Francken, Brussels-Capital Region Minister-President Boris Dilliès, Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele, Walloon Vice President Pierre-Yves Jeholet and hundreds of business representatives, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency.
The visit began in İstanbul on Sunday and will continue in Ankara on Wednesday and Thursday.
Belgium’s foreign ministry said before the visit that the mission would focus on energy transition, ports and logistics, health and pharmaceuticals, aerospace and defense and digitalization.
Belçika Kraliçesi Majesteleri Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine ve beraberindeki heyet, Özdemir Bayraktar Milli Teknoloji Merkezimizi ziyaret ettiler. 🇹🇷🇧🇪
Kendilerini ağırlamaktan şeref duyduk.
Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium and her accompanying delegation visited the… pic.twitter.com/SIs7rftkhK
— BAYKAR (@BaykarTech) May 10, 2026
The defense focus was underscored by Queen Mathilde’s visit to Turkish drone maker Baykar’s Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in İstanbul, where the company develops and produces unmanned aerial vehicles.
The queen and the Belgian delegation received a briefing on Baykar’s research, development and production work and viewed the company’s unmanned combat aerial vehicle platforms. Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar, who is also President Erdoğan’s son-in-law, and CEO Haluk Bayraktar hosted the visit.
Baykar is Turkey’s best-known drone manufacturer, and its Bayraktar TB2 drones gained international attention after their use by Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
At the Belgium-Turkey Business Forum in İstanbul on Monday, Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Prévot and Francken signed a joint declaration aimed at developing bilateral trade relations, Anadolu reported.
Prévot said Queen Mathilde’s presence showed the importance Belgium attaches to its relationship with Turkey.
“This is not a small detail,” he said, according to Anadolu.
He said Belgium saw “significant potential” to deepen its strategic partnership with Turkey, identifying green energy transition, aerospace and defense, ports and logistics, life sciences and biotechnology and digital transformation as priority areas.
Diependaele described Turkey as a “strategic partner for the future,” saying the mission sent a message of “ambition, confidence and a strong business mindset,” Anadolu reported.
Belgium’s growing interest in defense cooperation with Turkey was also reflected in remarks by Belgian Ambassador to Turkey Hendrik Van de Velde before the visit.
Van de Velde told the Dünya daily in April that Belgium needed to strengthen its defense industry and that Turkey had valuable knowledge and experience in the field.
He said the purpose of the mission was to bring companies together and show the importance Belgium attaches to cooperation with Turkey.
“When we look at the geopolitical situation, global developments and especially the NATO process, one of the important points is that Belgium needs to strengthen its defense industry,” Van de Velde said, according to Dünya.
Belgian officials have also framed the trip as part of a wider effort to expand commercial ties with Turkey, one of Belgium’s largest trading partners outside the European Union.
Belgian sources put Belgium’s exports to Turkey at 6.5 billion euros in 2025 and imports from Turkey at 5.6 billion euros, led by pharmaceuticals, chemicals, vehicles and base metals.
Bolat said Monday that bilateral trade reached $9.3 billion in 2025 and that the two countries aim to raise it to $15 billion.
He said Belgian investment in Turkey has approached $5 billion, while Turkish investment in Belgium is nearing $750 million.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the Belgian mission would include meetings on trade, investment, defense, energy and connectivity, as well as cooperation within NATO and the European Union.
The ministry said the visit was expected to contribute to bilateral relations and create new opportunities for business cooperation.
Belgium’s last royal-level economic mission to Turkey took place in 2012, when the current king, Philippe, visited as crown prince.