Princess Maxima and Prince Willem-Alexander in Turkey

The royal couple was present at the conclusion of the festivities surrounding the 400th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey. The couple was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frans Timmermans.

The programme included two business meetings, the seminar by Brainport Eindhoven and the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Istanbul. In the evening, they attended a concert by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

In order to promote cycling in the busy city of Istanbul, the royal couple undertook a bicycle tour through the shopping street of Istiklal Caddesi. Also located on this street is the Palais de Hollande, the Dutch consulate-general, which served as the starting point.

This is the second royal visit to Turkey this year. In June, Queen Beatrix visited Ankara and Istanbul. Prime Minister Mark Rutte was there at the beginning of November and the Turkish president Abdullah Gül made a state visit to the Netherlands this spring. Hundreds of events, meetings and exhibitions have been held to mark the beginning of formal relations between the two countries.