Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi evaluated his contacts in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, where he was present within the scope of the 4th Meeting of Türkiye-Belgium Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Internal Affairs, to the AA correspondent.
Stating that they held the fourth meeting, which brought together the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Internal Affairs of the two countries in the 188th year of deep-rooted diplomatic relations with Belgium, at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, Çiftçi reminded that the last meeting in this format was held in Ankara in 2016.
Çiftçi emphasized that the reunion of 7 ministers after 10 years is in itself a meaningful expression of will.
Mustafa Çiftçi stated that together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and the Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, they discussed the issues directly related to the security of Türkiye and the peace of the citizens with their Belgian counterparts Bernard Quintin, Annelies Verlinden, Maxime Prevot and Anneleen Van Bossuyt.
Pointing out that approximately 300 thousand Turkish citizens living in Brussels, producing and adding value to the economy of this country are the strongest bond between the two countries, Çiftçi said, "However, true friendship requires standing side by side in good times as well as fighting together against criminal groups targeting our peace." he said.
Minister Çiftçi emphasized that in line with the vision put forward by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye has become a country whose voice is listened to both at the table and in the field in foreign policy, and said, "This determination outside made it necessary to establish a strong front inside; we are on the verge of getting rid of the shackles of terrorism that have wasted our 10 years as a nation. We are approaching our goal of a terror-free Türkiye step by step." He included his statements.
Çiftçi said, "On this ground where peace has taken root, a new threat has emerged; organized crime and its new generation extensions. In 1,741 operations carried out by our Police, Gendarmerie and Coast Guard organizations in 2026 alone, we have destroyed a total of 625 organized crime gangs, 22 of which are at the international level. Our Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime, Narcotics and Cyber units continue this fight uninterruptedly both on the street and in the digital world. We continue to be determined to be against all kinds of formations." We will." made his assessment.
Çiftçi underlined that the peace of this nation will not be violated by anyone with its police, gendarmerie and coast guard, and emphasized that the arm of this state is long enough to catch the threat to a citizen at the other end of the world.
"IT IS CONSIDERED AS PLACED AT THE DOOR OF OUR STATE"
Çiftçi stated that a significant part of the new generation criminal organizations carry out their activities through foreign connections and added:
"In countries including Belgium, they threaten our citizens and attack their workplaces and homes. The most concrete and unacceptable example of this is Mr. Oğuz Arkaya, the owner of Brussels Hanımeli Patisseries. He was first threatened by the Daltons Gang in June 2026, and then a bomb attack was carried out on his house. The fact that these daring threats extend to the relatives of a diplomat working in our Consulate General clearly reveals the gravity of the issue. "A bomb placed at the door of our citizens is considered as being placed at the door of our state. We currently consider that 5 individuals who are managers or members of these criminal networks and are of particular importance to us are in Belgium, through our Interpol units and law enforcement channels, in coordination with our Ministry of Justice, we demand the extradition of these people to our country."
"2027-2028 JOINT ACTION PLAN"
Stating that the most concrete indicator of this determination is the "Joint Action Plan for 2027-2028" signed today between the General Directorate of Security and the Belgian Federal Police, Çiftçi said, "With this plan, we will strengthen our cooperation in the fight against transnational crimes, especially terrorism, organized crime, drug and arms smuggling, immigrant smuggling and human trafficking. We will increase the sharing of knowledge and experience with mutual expert meetings and joint training activities, and further the professional contacts between the security units of the two countries." He made a statement.
Ciftci stated that the Joint Action Plan is not the name of a protocol, but the name of the common promise made by the two states against crime, and said, "The will demonstrated by my counterparts in today's talks is also promising. As my esteemed counterpart Mr. Bernard Quintin stated, criminal networks are increasingly gaining an international character, which makes it necessary to strengthen the coordination between our police organizations with faster information sharing, exchange of expertise and joint training. In the field of justice, as emphasized by Ms. Annelies Verlinden, organized crime borders the border." "does not recognize it." he said.
"WE BROUGHT 714 FUGITIVES FROM 44 COUNTRIES TO OUR COUNTRY"
Pointing out that if the criminal network knows no borders, the cooperation between organizations will also know no borders, Çiftçi continued his evaluations as follows:
"I would like to put our message today in a broader context. Our public knows the security diplomacy we carry out against those who think that they can escape from the hands of the state by escaping abroad as 'Cross-Border Trap'. Every step we take, from Bulgaria to Georgia, from Greece to Brussels today, is a link of this determined stance. This year alone, we have identified 714 fugitives from 44 countries, among them 170 organized crime ringleaders and members. "We brought him to our country with the determined pursuit of our law enforcement forces; a red notice has already been issued for 969 people. The criminal thinks that he has crossed a border, but every border he crosses is the door to a new trap for him. Our state does not sleep and does not forget any criminal; when the time and hour comes, it comes down on the criminal."
Minister Çiftçi emphasized that no place in the world is a "safe haven" for criminal organizations and stated that escaping across the border when you commit a crime and get stuck is not a salvation, but only postpones the capture a few stops further.
"TERRORISM IS ONE COUNTRY'S PROBLEM TODAY, EVERYONE'S NIGHTMARE TOMORROW"
Noting that their struggle is not limited to organized crime, Çiftçi said:
"The presence of members of terrorist organizations such as PKK, DHKP-C, MLKP, TKP-ML and FETO in Belgium, and even using this country as a base, is incompatible with the spirit of alliance. Terrorism is a country's problem today and everyone's nightmare tomorrow. As a matter of fact, although organizations such as PKK, DHKP-C and MLKP do not carry out armed actions in Belgium, they continue their activities in providing financing, recruiting militants and propaganda. In particular, the terrorist organization PKK "It is of great importance for us not to allow the 'dissolution discourse' to be exploited and to prevent the repetition of negativities like the Ariadna decision that occurred in the past. Declaring that terrorism is over is one thing, making sure that terrorist networks are completely disbanded is another."
"THIS STRUCTURE USES BELGIUM AS A SHELTER"
Reminding that FETO attempted a treacherous coup against the nation on July 15, 2016, Çiftçi said, "Today, this structure uses Belgium as a shelter; it continues its activities through various associations and educational institutions under the umbrella of FEDACTIO. We believe that if these schools and non-governmental organizations are closely monitored, many crimes such as fraud, bribery, bid rigging and money laundering will come to light. There are 33 FETO members on our Ministry's Terrorism Wanted List." "We evaluate that the member is in Belgium and we expect these people to be prevented from exploiting the asylum system with false information and documents. This issue has been conveyed to our counterpart today and the necessary steps have been requested to be taken." made his assessment.
"We are the only NATO country that fights hand-to-hand in the field against DAESH, a terrorist organization that exploits religion." Çiftçi pointed out that the return of "Foreign Terrorist Fighters" to their source countries is of great importance in preventing this organization from regaining ground in the region. Çiftçi stated that they are ready to provide all kinds of support to their interlocutors in this regard.
"NONE OF THE RETURN REQUESTS WE SUBMITTED TO BELGIUM HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED SO FAR"
Stating that they are facing the face of far-left terrorism in Belgium, Çiftçi said:
"It has been determined that the organization called Grup Yorum, affiliated with DHKP-C, will organize a concert in Liege on December 19, 2026. The Fehriye Erdal file, which we all remember, is a reminder that the state's pursuit will never expire. In the ten years from 2016 to 2026, none of the extradition requests we have submitted to Belgium within the scope of terrorist crimes have been accepted so far. Mainly for members of the terrorist organization PKK and FETO "These demands are either rejected or left unanswered. This situation makes the members of the terrorist organization feel safe in Belgium. It is the common demand of both our security and our conscience to prevent terrorist members from exploiting their refugee status. Even though time passes, the state's pursuit never stops."
"WE ALSO DISCUSSED IMMIGRATION AND VISA TITLES IN A FRIENDLY FRAMEWORK"
Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi pointed out that the refugee status is not a door opened to those escaping from persecution or a shield held against the oppressor, and said, "We also discussed the immigration and visa issues in a friendly framework. Turkey is one of the countries most affected by migration movements due to its geographical location; we host 3.6 million foreigners, approximately 2.2 million of whom are Syrians." he said.
Stating that the Coast Guard Command has destroyed the immigrant smuggling networks at the source, with the measures taken by the law enforcement units on the sea, and the measures taken by the law enforcement units on the land, they have largely prevented irregular migration, and that the perception that it is no longer possible to enter and exit the borders easily has been established, Çiftçi said, "Solving the visa problems faced by our citizens, jointly combating irregular migration and accelerating the return processes are in the common interest of the two countries. As a matter of fact, our Belgian counterpart, Ms. Anneleen Van Bossuyt, said that her administration should see Türkiye's migration management practices on the spot." "We welcome your request; this will further strengthen our cooperation in the field." made the statement.
"THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY SHOULD OPEN THE DOOR TO FRIENDSHIP, NOT TERRORISM"
Çiftçi emphasized that for them, security begins not after the crime is committed, but before it is committed, and said, "In this context, I find Mr. Maxime Prevot's statement today, 'European security cannot be taken seriously without establishing relations with Turkey', as valuable as an expression of the common mind of the two countries." he stated.
Underlining that Türkiye will resolutely continue all kinds of cooperation in accordance with international law and the spirit of NATO alliance, Çiftçi said:
"We expect the same determination from friendly and allied countries, because real alliance means not only sitting at the same table, but also standing on the same side against the same threat. Our wish is clear and sincere: This beautiful country, beating in the heart of Europe, should open the door to friendship, not terrorism. The land of an ally cannot be the shelter of a terrorist.
We will continue to work determinedly towards our common security goals and to protect the peace and security of our citizens by strengthening our international cooperation. With these thoughts, I would like to thank my Belgian counterparts for their hospitality and hope that our contacts today will be beneficial for the two countries and two friendly nations."
