Looking back at the Belgian Economic Mission to Türkiye

🤝 The Belgian Economic Mission to Türkiye — a look back at an unforgettable week.

From 10 to 14 May 2026, RideOnTrack had the privilege of participating in the Belgian Economic Mission to #Türkiye, presided over by Her Majesty Queen Mathilde. Almost fourteen years after the previous Belgian economic mission to the country, this mission brought together 194 Belgian companies and 428 participants across Istanbul and Ankara — a clear signal of Belgium’s ambition to deepen its economic ties with Türkiye. In our view, the mission has proven a great success!

A defining moment of the mission was the official signing ceremony, presided over by Her Majesty Queen Mathilde, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot, and Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade Theo F. and Minister-President of Flanders Matthias Diependaele. During this ceremony, YM İDİS Engineering İDİS, represented by Mr. Murat Öcal, Director of the President’s Office and Business Development at Yapı Merkezi Holding, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with RideOnTrack. This MOU lays the foundation for collaboration between both companies in mission-critical telecommunication technology for the Turkish rail market.

Beyond the signing ceremony, we also had the honour of meeting with His Excellency Hendrik Van de Velde, Belgian Ambassador to Türkiye, whose support and engagement throughout the mission was greatly appreciated.

The week was filled with meaningful visits and experiences.

We participated in the wreath-laying ceremony at Anıtkabir in Ankara, paying our respects to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Turkish people — a moment that left a deep impression on us.

We also visited the TCDD rail control rooms in both Istanbul and Ankara, gaining valuable insight into how TCDD ensures the safe and reliable operation of passenger rail traffic and the mission-critical telecommunication technologies at the heart of their operations.

Through Cem Cagatay Karaali of the company IRISS, we had the opportunity to meet with Turk Telekom and give a live demonstration of our CodiTrack platform, showcasing its capabilities for autonomous telecom measurements in drive-test scenarios.

A sincere thank you to FIT – Flanders Investment & Trade for arranging several business meetings with local public safety and public transport institutions — these conversations greatly helped us understand the local context. Thanks also to Agoria, Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) and the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency (BFTA) for the many networking opportunities throughout the week.

Türkiye has left a deep impression on us — the culture, the hospitality, the openness, and yes, the exceptional food! 🍽️ We are grateful to the Turkish people for welcoming us so warmly, and we already look forward to our next visit. This mission has been a great experience, and we are excited about what lies ahead.