'Türkiye is quietly emerging as a maritime power,' says Belgian defense minister

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken on Tuesday hailed Türkiye becoming a maritime power while the world focuses on the naval arms race between China and the US.

"While all eyes are focused on the naval arms race between China and the US, Türkiye is quietly emerging as a maritime power," Francken wrote on US social media platform X after he visited Sedef Shipyard in Istanbul.

He pointed to how Türkiye is not only ordering but also domestically building submarines, corvettes, frigates, destroyers, and aircraft carriers.

"They are doing so quickly, with high quality and competitive prices. Turkish naval vessels are gradually gaining ground on the global market," Francken added.

He noted that the Turkish economy has grown rapidly over the past 20 years while also managing to emerge from the inflation storm it experienced in recent years. He said one lesson he took away was that "hard times require hard measures."

"Istanbul is not only a gateway to Central Asia, but also to the Arab world — including in the media sphere. All major Arab media outlets are represented here," Francken added.

Francken is among the delegation accompanying Belgium's Queen Mathilde, who arrived in Istanbul on Sunday, leading a high-level economic mission aimed at strengthening trade and investment ties between Brussels and Ankara.