Türkiye pressed Belgium to grant extradition requests at ministerial talks in Brussels on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as the countries sought closer cooperation against cross-border crime after a 10-year break in dialogue.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek and Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi set out the Turkish requests, Anadolu Agency reported. Belgium has said deeper judicial cooperation must preserve legal protections.
Gürlek asked Belgian authorities to examine organizations he linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which Ankara designates as terrorist, and to extradite members sought by Türkiye. He also urged quicker responses to judicial assistance requests. International protection mechanisms must not undercut extradition proceedings involving people wanted for serious crimes, he said.
Çiftçi called on Belgium to close institutions Ankara associates with FETO and the PKK and to grant Türkiye’s extradition requests. He said repatriating foreign terrorist fighters would reduce the risk of renewed Daesh activity in the region.
Gürlek pointed to an operation coordinated by prosecutors in Izmir in September. He said it targeted a criminal organization operating from Belgium that was involved in drug trafficking. Çiftçi called for justice ministries and Interpol units to work together to locate suspected leaders and members of criminal groups believed to be in Belgium and seek their extradition.
On migration, Çiftçi said Türkiye had reinforced land and maritime controls to limit irregular crossings and impede smugglers. He urged European Union countries to raise resettlement quotas, support voluntary returns and cooperate more closely with Türkiye, arguing for a fairer sharing of responsibility.
Belgium’s Foreign Ministry said criminal networks cross borders, move financial flows and exploit differences between legal systems. It said judicial cooperation could help authorities investigate such networks while upholding legal safeguards, protecting society and the economy.
Ahead of the ministerial meeting after a 10-year break, Belgium said it expected the two sides to sign a police cooperation plan during the talks. The proposed plan called for quicker police information sharing, exchanges of expertise and joint training.
