Network dinner
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Minister Yildirim, ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, thank you very much for your warm welcome here in Ankara, and at this dinner.
Last year, you invited me to visit Turkey with a delegation. Of course, we first had to compare our schedules, but my instinctive answer was ‘yes, yes, by all means yes!’ It means something to me that you, as Minister, as my counterpart, extended this invitation so personally. This tells me that the Netherlands is welcome here. This tells me that the Turkish people are open to cooperation and that people are eager to grasp the opportunities that arise. It is thus an honour to be your guest for the next several days.
And I am proud that I have with me the cream of the crop of the Dutch business sector in the fields of port development, hinterland connections, and roads and infrastructure. A second reason that I was pleased to accept your invitation is the fact that I am very enthusiastic about your country. It has an interesting and rich history. You may know that during my time at the European Parliament I was Turkey reporter.
It was then that I got to know your country in a different way, by looking past the veil of tourism. By immersing myself in the complex history of the birth of your nation, I learned about different cultures, your rich heritage, and what it means for a country to bridge two continents.
All this gives your history a dynamic nature. Today, you are giving admirable shape to your unique situation between Europe and Asia. On the one side, Turkey is working hard to accede to the European Union, on the other you are keeping a close eye on the larger picture.
You maintain good relations with all the countries around you. You are trying to promote openness in the region and to form ties with Asia, Russia and the Middle East. Turkey is making a praiseworthy contribution to international peace and the stability of this region. I am pleased to be able to see how you conduct a dialogue with other countries and other cultures.
Minister Yildirim, ladies and gentlemen, Today, tomorrow and the day after, Turkey and the Netherlands will also be conducting a dialogue but then one that concerns the maritime sector, port development and infrastructure.
I am curious about the latest developments regarding the Marmaray Tunnel, and of course about your large-scale plans for a total of three ports. They are to become fully-fledged hubs: Filyos Port on the Black Sea, Candarli Port on the Aegean Sea and Mersin Port on the Mediterranean. In addition, you are busy transforming your country into the energy portal of Eastern Europe. All kinds of interesting developments with which your country is forging its way to meet the future. I am eager to learn more.
And the same applies to the representatives of the various companies who are with me. The Dutch business sector is in the starting blocks, ready to be of service to you. They would like to use their expertise and knowhow in cooperating with you. I therefore consider it a worthy task to bring the Dutch and Turkish business communities into contact with one another.
Minister Yildirim, Thank you once again for your warm hospitality. I would like to raise a glass and toast a successful working visit!