Event “From One Generation to Another: 60th Anniversary of the Turkish Diaspora Presence in Belgium” held in Heusden Zolder, Belgium

Organized by YTB, the Event “From One Generation to Another: 60th Anniversary of the Turkish Diaspora Presence in Belgium” was held in Heusden Zolder, Belgium in high spirits to mark the 60th anniversary of the labour agreement signed by and between Türkiye and Belgium.

The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) organised an Event titled ‘From One Generation to Another: 60th Anniversary of the Turkish Diaspora Presence in Belgium’ in Heusden Zolder, Belgium on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the labour agreement signed by and between Türkiye and Belgium on July 16, 1964. The event was attended by Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, AK Party Deputy Chairman and Head of Foreign Relations and Istanbul MP Zafer Sırakaya, Turkish Ambassador to Brussels Bekir Uysal and many other guests.

Taking the floor at the outset of the event, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Family and Social Services, reminded that Heusden-Zolder was the first destination of the expatriates 60 years ago with their wooden suitcases in their hands. Göktaş reminded that Belgium is full of stories of thousands of Turkish workers who earned an honest buck, endured hardships, and suffered homesickness for years, and noted that one of those stories concerns İsmail Erdoğdu, who was the first Turk to migrate to Belgium with his instrument saz, who served as a mine worker and now teaches Turkish folk music, with another one concerning Yakup Yurt, an interpreter who died last month, and another one his grandfather Hasan Malak, who opened a Turkish supermarket in Brussels after his service as a farmer.

Göktaş remarked that her life was a commute between the cash registers in his grandfather's and father's market, and said: ‘I learned how valuable elbow grease and labour are at a young age while studying and working. I found out there to stand up for the values of my own country and even to be her envoy. With great enthusiasm, I won the elections in the world of politics thanks to the style of communication I established with the people in that marketplace. Today, if I am here before you as the Minister of Family and Social Services of Türkiye, it is because of the presence and support of my family.’

A Major Decisive Moment for the Growth of Belgian Economy

Mrs. Göktaş noted that 60 years ago, those who migrated from Türkiye to Brussels set out with hope and courage to build a new life, and that this was a major decisive moment not only for their own lives but also for the growth of the Belgian economy.

‘60 years ago, Turks who migrated to Belgium as labourers made crucial investments as entrepreneurs, traders or industrialists, took part in decision-making mechanisms, expressed their views on the domestic policies and played active roles,’ Göktaş said and added that they also preserved their immaterial values and remained committed to their national culture in the meantime.

Taking Actions Under the Motto ‘Powerful Diaspora, Powerful Türkiye’

Taking the floor during the event, YTB President Abdullah Eren stated that it is a success story that Turks, who work under challenging circumstances in a country whose language and culture they are not familiar with who work to make a living while preserving their values, have yielded dozens of key figures, including Minister Göktaş.

Mr. Eren noted that the Turkish community in Belgium is populated by over 350,000 people who are already businesspersons, academics, bureaucrats, and that especially those who migrated early on founded mosques and cultural associations and took part in social activities. Mr. Eren also highlighted that each of them is as valuable to the Republic of Türkiye as any Turkish national in the homeland.

Mr. Eren remarked that YTB’s only goal is to render services for Turks abroad and help them maintain their ties with Türkiye and added: ‘We take actions under the motto “powerful diaspora, powerful Türkiye.”

More Influential in Politics, Economy, Culture, Sports, and Arts

Addressing the participants at the event, AK Party Deputy Chairman and Head of Foreign Relations and Istanbul MP Zafer Sırakaya described the Turkish presence in Europe as “a great success story”. Sırakaya pointed out that the Turkish community has transformed from a generation of blue-collar workers to a community that plays a role in all aspects of life, creates jobs and added value, and underscored the fact that Turks should be more influential in politics, economy, culture, sports and arts in Europe.

In his address, Sırakaya thanked Turkish non-governmental organisations, YTB President Abdullah Eren and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for introducing a mindset that has completely transformed the view of the Turks abroad, attaching value to them, granting them rights such as the right to vote and to be represented, and providing services through organizations such as YTB, TIKA, Maarif and Yunus Emre Institute.

Story of Turks is the ‘Best Example of Coherence’

Türkiye's Ambassador to Brussels Bekir Uysal pointed out that the efforts of Turkish nationals who have grown into doctors, lawyers, academics, engineers and businesspersons are something to be proud of and said: ‘It is admirable that they now enjoy their status as a result of their hard work in the country they initially migrated to without speaking her language. The perseverance, efforts, and patience displayed by the first-generation Turks are invaluable. Thanks to their characteristics, the story of the Turks has gone down in history as ‘the best example of coherence’.

Mrs. Göktaş, the Minister of Family and Social Services, presented a bouquet of flowers to Aziz Gel in the name of the first generation of immigrants and to Büşranur Yüksel in the name of the 4^th generation by the end of the event.

On the occasion of the event, plaques of appreciation were presented to relatives on behalf of the late Necati Kubat, the instrumentalist father of folk music singer Kubat, one of the first generation of immigrants to Belgium, and the late Sedat Kaya, a civil society leader.

Some plaques of appreciation were also presented to Belgian Tina de Gendt and Dr. Ri de Ridder for their assistance to the Turkish community, to Ghislaine Marie Ernestine, nicknamed ‘Guler’, who converted to Islam through her first-generation Turkish immigrant husband, and to businessman Tamer Cankurtaranoğlu and his wife Nilgün Cankurtaranoğlu, second generation immigrants who offered the venue for the event.

Barış Manço's wife Lale Manço and his son Batıkan Manço also attended the event. In her address, Lale Manço said that her late husband was a shared asset and cultural ambassador of Türkiye and Belgium and that it was a great honour for her family to join others here. YTB President Eren presented a plaque of appreciation to Lale Manço.