Türkiye and Belgium signed a police cooperation plan for 2027–2028 during talks in Brussels, where Turkish ministers sought concrete action against terrorist groups and closer cooperation on extraditions.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi announced the signing after the Oct. 20 meeting, which he attended with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Justice Minister Akın Gürlek.
It was the fourth round of talks in this format and the first since 2016.
The Belgian Foreign Ministry said the plan would enable faster information exchanges, sharing of expertise and joint training, particularly against organized crime and international criminal networks.
Çiftçi urged Belgium to act against the PKK and FETÖ, including closing affiliated institutions and responding positively to Türkiye’s extradition requests.
FETÖ terror group is responsible for the 2016 attempted coup.
“No country should allow its territory to become a safe haven for terrorist groups operating against another country,” Çiftçi said.
Gürlek called for the extradition of FETÖ members and timely responses to judicial assistance requests.
He urged Belgian authorities to examine associations, educational institutions and other organizations he said were linked to the group.
The Turkish ministers also sought stronger cooperation against drug trafficking, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and money laundering.
Çiftçi called for closer coordination between justice ministries and Interpol units to locate and extradite suspected criminal group leaders and members believed to be in Belgium.
The Belgian ministry said the talks sought to strengthen judicial cooperation while respecting the rule of law and fundamental legal safeguards.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot stressed Türkiye’s importance to European security, citing its NATO membership and diplomatic contacts in regions central to Europe’s interests.
“You cannot seriously discuss European security without engaging with Türkiye,” he said.
Prévot said differences between the two countries made regular dialogue important.
His ministry also recalled his support for modernizing the Türkiye-EU customs union, which he voiced at a business summit in Brussels on Oct. 13.
Migration was another focus of the talks. Çiftçi called for greater cooperation with EU countries, support for voluntary returns and higher resettlement quotas, saying responsibility should be shared more fairly.
