Belgian Crown Prince Philippe and spouse Princess Mathilde visit Topkapi Palace

Belgian Crown Prince Philippe and his spouse Princess Mathilde on Tuesday visited the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.

Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA), the Manager of the Topkapi Palace, Haluk Dursun said that he provided information to the Belgian royal couple on the Topkapi Palace, the hills of Istanbul, the works of Architect Sinan, the Istanbul Strait and the Golden Horn.

Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde's tour of the Topkapi Palace was closed to the press.

Belgian Crown Prince meets Istanbul Governor Mutlu and Mayor Topbas

Belgian Crown Prince Philippe and his spouse Princess Mathilde separately met with the Governor of Istanbul Huseyin Avni Mutlu and Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbas.

Speaking to reporters while meeting the Belgian royal couple, Governor Mutlu said that Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde's current visit to Turkey would strengthen relations.
Prince Philippe, in his part, said that this was their first day in Turkey.
"We feel as if we have been here for a very long time. We are being hosted very warmly and spend excellent time here. I believe that our current visit would boost trade relations between our two countries," Prince Philippe also said.

Belgian crown prince decorates Turkish officials with royal order

Belgian Crown Prince Philippe decorated with Belgian Crown Order Unal Aysal, chairman of Turkey's Galatasaray football team, Pinar Eczacibasi, chairwoman of the Turkey-Belgium Business Council, and Nezih Ozturk, Belgium's honorary consul in Izmir.

The Belgian crown prince presented the order to Aysal, Eczacibasi and Ozturk for their contributions to the relations between Turkey and Belgium.