Istanbul: Belgium’s Queen Mathilde departed Trkiye on Tuesday following a visit to Istanbul as part of the Belgian Economic Mission. The aircraft carrying Queen Mathilde left Istanbul after a series of official meetings and events held during her stay in Trkiye, which began on May 10. Turkish officials bid farewell to the queen at Ataturk Airport.

According to Anadolu Agency, during her visit, Queen Mathilde met first lady Emine Erdogan at Dolmabahce Palace and later held talks with Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Vahdettin Pavilion. She also met Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat at the Belgian Consulate in Istanbul and attended the Trkiye-Belgium Business Forum organized by DEIK, the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Trkiye.

The queen joined high-level business roundtable meetings with Turkish and Belgian company representatives and took part in programs focusing on industry, technology, women’s economic participation, and biopharmaceutical cooperation. Her itinerary included a visit to the Central Bank of the Republic of Trkiye’s Istanbul Finance Center campus, a tour of Baykar’s Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center, and the ‘Century-Old Elegance’ exhibition showcasing Turkish cultural heritage.

Queen Mathilde also visited several other locations across Istanbul, including Ortakoy and the Istanbul Naval Museum. Her visit was a significant part of the Belgian Economic Mission, aimed at strengthening economic ties between Belgium and Trkiye.