State Visit from Turkey to the Netherlands – Day One

On April 17, the President of Turkey, Mr Abdullah Gül, and his wife started a three-day State Visit to Netherlands.

In the morning, the President was welcomed by Queen Beatrix at the Royal Palace on Dam Square, where the two countries’ National Anthems were played. After the welcoming ceremony. the President laid a wreath at the Monument on the Dam. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Amsterdam’s Mayor Eberhard van der Laan were present.

In the presence of Princess Margriet and Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven, the President and his wife received awards from the Queen at the Royal Palace.

In the afternoon, along with Queen Beatrix, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Crown Princess Máxima, Mr Gül opened the exhibition ”The Chamber of Levantine Trade” at the Amsterdam Museum. The exhibition shows the early trade history between the Netherlands and Turkey.

In the late afternoon together with Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima, President Gül had a meeting with Turkish and Dutch traders at the conference center De Bazel. Mr Gül, the Prince and the Princess also attended the Holland Turkey business forum at the Passenger terminal in Amsterdam.

In the meantime Mrs Gül, accompanied by Princess Margriet, visited the Museum of Bags and Purses.

The first day ended with a State Banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. The Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima, Princess Margriet and Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven were present.

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged Bilateral Relations, Exhibition, King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, President Gül of Turkey, Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, State Visit, Turkey.