Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK) organized Türkiye–Belgium Business Forum in İstanbul on May 11, 2026, on the occasion of the Belgian Economic Mission led by Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians. The Forum was attended by H.E. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye; H.E. Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, and Development Cooperation of Belgium; Nail Olpak, President of DEİK; A. Burak Dağlıoğlu, President of the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye; René Branders, President of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB); Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of the Flemish Government; Mustafa Akıncılar, Chairperson of DEİK/Türkiye–Belgium Business Council; and business representatives from both countries.
During the Forum, H.E. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, H.E. Maxime Prévot, and Belgian Minister of Defence H.E. Theo Francken signed the "Joint Declaration on the Development of Bilateral Trade Relations" between Türkiye and Belgium.
Bolat: "The two countries aim to reach a bilateral trade volume of 15 billion dollars"
Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, stated that the bilateral trade volume between Türkiye and Belgium reached USD 9.3 billion as of 2025, adding, "The two countries aim to sustainably and steadily reach a bilateral trade volume of USD 15 billion." He emphasized that Belgium's investments in Türkiye have reached approximately USD 5 billion, while Türkiye's investments in Belgium are nearing USD 750 million.
Bolat also highlighted new strategic cooperation areas, noting that the primary focus is the defense industry. "Our defense and aerospace exports increased from USD 248 million in 2002 to over USD 10 billion in 2025. We observe Belgium's growing interest in engaging more deeply with our defense ecosystem," he said. He further noted that Türkiye is a major logistics hub with a USD 150 billion logistics market and more than USD 50 billion in logistics service exports, supported by advanced digital customs systems.
Referring to the global success of Turkish contractors, Bolat stated that they have undertaken projects worth USD 560 billion across 138 countries, including USD 335 million worth of construction projects in Belgium. He also underlined the significant potential to expand economic cooperation not only bilaterally but also in third markets and through governmental cooperation. Bolat emphasized the importance of modernizing the Customs Union between Türkiye and the EU and expressed his belief that Belgium supports this approach within the EU.
Prévot: "Belgium is the 8th largest investor in Türkiye"
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot stated that Belgium and Türkiye possess complementary strengths across several sectors and emphasized the immense potential for deeper cooperation in energy, aviation, space, and defense.
Prévot recalled that Belgium organized a similar Economic Mission 14 years ago and highlighted that the leadership of H.M. the Queen of the Belgians underscored the importance of bilateral relations. He stated, "Türkiye–Belgium relations are based on nearly two centuries of political, economic, and diplomatic cooperation." He further underlined Türkiye's innovative and competitive ecosystem, pointing to opportunities in ports, logistics, life sciences, biotechnology, and digital transformation.
Prévot also noted that Belgium and Türkiye are jointly involved in nearly 300 Horizon Europe projects, making Belgium Türkiye's fifth most important research partner in Europe.
Olpak: "The Turkish business community strongly supports Türkiye's European journey"
DEİK President Nail Olpak stated that Türkiye and Belgium are two complementary economies and invited Belgian companies to view Türkiye as a production base and a platform for joint ventures.
Olpak emphasized the importance of the green transformation, noting that Belgium's sustainability expertise and Türkiye's rapidly growing renewable energy sector could create strong synergies. He identified technology, innovation, and defense as other strategic cooperation areas.
Highlighting the changing global trade environment, Olpak stated, "Today, the only certainty is uncertainty, and this is something the business world does not appreciate." He emphasized the need for a completely new approach to the Türkiye–EU partnership process, which has continued for over 60 years. Referring to the open letter DEİK published in the Financial Times earlier this year, Olpak stated: "Our message is very clear. The Turkish business community strongly supports Türkiye's European journey."
Olpak also invited all participants to the next EU–Türkiye Business Summit, which will be organized in cooperation with the European Business Summit at Egmont Palace on October 13, 2026.
Dağlıoğlu: "Türkiye has become a regional hub"
A. Burak Dağlıoğlu, President of the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, stated that more than 700 Belgian companies operate in Türkiye and that their total investments since 2003 have exceeded USD 8 billion. He emphasized Türkiye's business-friendly investment environment and noted that the country has become a regional hub.
Dağlıoğlu also mentioned that a new package, including financial and non-financial incentives, had recently been announced to support Türkiye's goal of becoming a global economic power.
Branders: "Turkish companies prefer Belgium as a main investment platform"
René Branders, President of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (FEB), stated: "Today, we are in Türkiye with at least 400 Belgian participants representing 200 companies." He noted that many of these companies operate in high-tech sectors, including chemicals, life sciences, automotive, and aerospace.
Branders emphasized that Türkiye is a vital economic partner and noted that Turkish companies increasingly prefer Belgium as their main investment platform at the heart of Europe.
Diependaele: "Türkiye is a strategic partner for the future"
Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of the Flemish Government, stated that Türkiye is one of Belgium's most important economic partners outside the EU and that Belgium has established a strong position within Türkiye's trade and investment environment.
He emphasized active cooperation in logistics, advanced manufacturing, and the energy transition. Stressing the importance of innovation partnerships, Diependaele said: "Türkiye is not only an important market for us but also a strategic partner for the future."
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