Belgium, Turkey sign nine defence agreements during economic mission

ANKARA: Belgium and Turkey have signed nine defence agreements following high-level talks in the Turkish capital, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said on Wednesday.

The agreements were announced during a four-day economic mission led by Belgium’s Queen Mathilde. Francken spoke after meeting his Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler and later addressed a defence and aeronautical networking event at the Belgian ambassador’s residence in Ankara.

Today was a really big step forward, Francken said after the talks.

According to a statement from Francken’s office, six of the defence-industry agreements were signed in Ankara on Wednesday, while three others had already been signed in Istanbul on Monday.

The statement said Belgium and Turkey have taken a major step toward a long-term strategic defence partnership through the signing of a high-level letter of intent.

Defence cooperation and European context

The agreements come at a time when European countries are seeking to strengthen their defence industries amid the threat posed by Russia and concerns over possible US disengagement from NATO.

Belgium also backed Turkey’s access to the European Union’s 150-billion-euro SAFE initiative, which is aimed at reinforcing European defence capabilities. The programme is valued at $176 billion.

Francken said the discussions covered Belgian and Turkish investments as well as joint cooperations. He did not provide further details about the specific projects or arrangements included in the agreements.

Interest in Turkish drones

The Belgian minister also indicated interest in acquiring Turkish drones. Asked about the possibility, he said, "Yes, that would be great."

He added, however, that any such purchase would be subject to European procurement rules.

The latest agreements mark a notable expansion in defence ties between Belgium and Turkey, with both sides moving toward what the Belgian side described as a longer-term strategic framework. The announcement was made in Ankara as the broader Belgian economic mission continued in Turkey under the leadership of Queen Mathilde.

Francken’s remarks and the statement from his office outlined the scale of the new understandings but did not disclose additional operational or financial details regarding the nine agreements.