Turkish foreign minister meets Dutch counterpart in The Hague
Fidan in on his visit to the Netherlands for the 10th Meeting of the Wittenburg Conference, which has been held between Türkiye and the Netherlands since 2008, the ministry says.
Fidan will discuss Türkiye's expectations on counter-terrorism efforts, and recent developments in the nearby region, including Israel-Palestine, Ukraine, and Cyprus. / Photo: AA Archive
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has met with his Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot in the city of The Hague, Netherlands.
Fidan in on his visit to the Netherlands for the 10th Meeting of the Wittenburg Conference, which has been held between Türkiye and the Netherlands since 2008, the ministry said on X on Friday.
He also met with representatives of the Turkish community and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), it added.
Earlier, Fidan also met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and discussed bilateral ties and the situation in Gaza.
In 2008, Türkiye and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening Türkiye-Netherlands relations and establishing the Türkiye-Netherlands Conference.
Under this framework, Türkiye-Netherlands conferences have been alternately held in Türkiye and the Netherlands since that year, chaired by the foreign ministers of both countries.
In addition to ministerial meetings, technical-level working group meetings are held between relevant ministries and institutions of both countries.
The Netherlands has been the largest foreign investor in Türkiye between 2005 and January 2024, with about $29 billion invested.
There is potential for further cooperation, especially in energy, environment, climate, digital, and green transformation, and new technology fields.
Türkiye holds big influence in region and beyond — Rutte
On Wednesday, Rutte underscored the significance of enhancing the EU’s relationship with Türkiye in a statement on X.
"Türkiye is a geopolitical actor with a big influence in the region and beyond. It’s a NATO ally and a partner in a wide range of areas. Examples include counterterrorism, security, climate change and energy, the economy and migration," Rutte wrote.
"It’s important for the EU – and the Netherlands – to maintain good relations with Türkiye. So it’s good to look at what steps we can take to strengthen our ties," he added.
This evening and tomorrow I am in Brussels for a special #EUCO with a broad agenda. Naturally we will be discussing Iran’s reckless attack on Israel and exploring what steps we can take to ensure that Iran and groups affiliated to Iran refrain from further hostile actions against… pic.twitter.com/JdBXqrLv7F
— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) April 17, 2024
Wittenburg Conference
Türkiye and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening Türkiye-Netherlands relations and establishing the Türkiye-Netherlands Conference in 2008.
Under this framework, Türkiye-Netherlands conferences have been alternately held in both countries, chaired by their foreign ministers.
In addition to ministerial meetings, technical-level working group meetings are held between relevant ministries and institutions.
The Netherlands has been the largest foreign investor in Türkiye between 2005 and January 2024, with about $29 billion invested.
Efforts aiming to increase the current trade volume of around $12.5 billion to $15 billion in the short term and $20 billion in the medium term between the two countries.
There is potential for further cooperation, especially in energy, environment, climate, digital, and green transformation, and new technology fields.
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