Fidan to meet EU chief, Rutte in Brussels

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (AA File Photo)

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will meet European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte during a three-day visit to Belgium, Turkish sources have said.

Fidan traveled to Belgium alongside Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi and Justice Minister Akın Gürlek to attend the fourth meeting between the Turkish officials and their counterparts in Brussels on Oct. 20.

During the visit, Fidan is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the European Policy Centre think tank and meet with business representatives, the ministry said.

The talks with Kallas and Rutte are expected to form part of Ankara’s broader diplomatic engagement with European institutions and NATO.

The ministerial meeting with Belgian officials will address bilateral cooperation in areas including counterterrorism, judicial and police cooperation, defense industry, consular affairs, visas and migration. The sides will also exchange views on regional and international developments.

Belgium will be represented by Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden and Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt.

The previous round of the ministerial meeting was held in Ankara in 2016.

Türkiye and Belgium have stepped up bilateral contacts in recent months, contributing to closer cooperation across several fields, the ministry said.

Queen Mathilde of Belgium visited Türkiye from May 10-14 with an economic delegation that included senior Belgian government officials and regional leaders.

Bilateral trade between Türkiye and Belgium reached $9.2 billion in 2025, and the two countries aim to increase the figure to $15 billion, according to the ministry.