[55895] Historic visit of Queen Mathilde of Belgium to Turkey: Series of official meetings and technological visits

Historic visit of the Queen of Belgium to Turkey

Today, May 11, 2026, Turkey marks the first official visit in 14 years by Queen Mathilde of Belgium. According to reports from A Haber, a channel known for its pro-government stance, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan welcomed the Queen for an official discussion at the Vahdettin Pavilion in Istanbul.

As part of the economic delegation led by the Queen, she visited the "Özdemir Bayraktar" National Technology Center of the Baykar company. As reported in Haber Gündem, the Queen examined the Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles (SİHA), which are considered a milestone in local defense technology.

The visit also includes events of a cultural and sporting nature. The channel GALATASARAY BAŞAKŞEHİR CANLI reports that football star Dries Mertens will join Queen Mathilde on her visit to the "Galatasaray" High School (Galatasaray Lisesi), an event that combines diplomacy with cultural and sports ties between the countries.

The journalistic coverage reflects a consensus regarding the importance of the visit, with channels such as Sansürsüz Medya +18 reporting on the meetings in a state-aligned and restrained manner, without reports of political disputes underlying the visit.