THOMAS ANTOINE Belçika Konsolosu Consul General of Belgium Günaydın Türkiye After my studies in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Louvain and 3 years of teaching, I joined the Belgian Diplomatic service in 1984 and started my career in Teheran, followed by postings in Lisbon, Brussels and Washington; then, after five years in Geneva, dealing with the arcanes of the U.N. system and the negotiations in the World Trade Organisation, I have reached this summer the shores of the Bosphorus for a mandate of, hopefully, four years. Iam very happy to be Consul General in Istanbul because: I had asked for it, the very kind welcome I received from my Turkish hosts and soon friends confirmed the wisdom of this wish this is a specially interesting period for Turkey and the rest of Europe, where I hope to play a positive if modest role. Classically, the task of a Consul General is to promote trade and defend the interest of one's country and citizens abroad. This mission shouldn't be purely defensive, it must be a win win process, where both countries and peoples gain from a better mutual knowledge and understanding. My experience of 5 years at the WTO taught me that trade is much more that the exchange of goods and services, it is the cornerstone of civilisation where mutual needs are recognized and durable, respectful partnerships are built. Trade lies at the base of the dialogue between civilizations because it implies trust, complementarity and regular contacts leading to knowledge and appreciation. Istanbul, the only great city spreading on two continents, symbolizes this dialogue which is also the fundament of the European Union. The more I know Turkey (and I still have a long way to go) the more I realize how this fascinating and lovely country isn't well known in the rest of Europe. This perception deficit must be remedied and I hope to contribute to a better flow of mutual information between Turkey and Belgium, which could translate into a better perception in our public opinion and a revival of investment in Turkey. The relations between Turkey and Belgium are definitely long standing: as soon as Belgium became an independent state in 1830, it established diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire; since 1900 and until the founding of the Republic, the "Palais de Belgique" hosted the "Legation de Belgique auprès de la Sublime Porte". This remarkable building hosts now the "Consulat Général", my family and myself. Thinking about our countries and an explanation for their traditional friendship, I find them altogether different and similar: Belgium, at the core of Europe, is a recent and small nation, having spent centuries under foreign domination; Turkey is a immense country, bridging Europe and the cradle of mankind, with the legacy of an incomparable and glorious history. Yet, there is something in common between those nations and I can support my case by the harmonious integration of the Turkish immigrants in Belgium: both people have a nomadic trait, whether in time or space: Belgians, having been submitted to so many masters and tribulations before acceding to independence and then being a minor player in the power game that was Europe until the second world war, have developed what I call "historical nomadism": knowing how precarious can be the order of things and the attributes of vested power, we have developed, in reaction, a strong sense of humour bordering on the surrealism,a certain defiance for any central power and a persistent liking for good life, enjoying the present moment as we do not know what tomorrow can bring: "carpe diem". Although the European project has definitely changed the political landscape of our continent, bringing stability and replacing rivalries by cooperation, those traits have survived in the Belgian psyche. I believe that the Turkish people, coming, many centuries ago, from the centre of Asia, having moved towards the West until it met the Ionian civilisation and the shores of the Mediterranean, "like the head of a mare coming full gallop from far off Asia", to quote Nazım HİKMET, shows the traits of "geograp-hical nomadism"; this translates into an extraordinary hospitality, a feeling of the transient character of things which feeds a sometimes nostalgic poetic soul and a deep sense of honor, kindness, solidarity and generosity, not to mention their superb cuisine! I believe that, beyond the well known list of mutual advantages of a closer EU integration, the Turks can bring a lot to the rest of Europe in the field of spirituality, esthetical and ethical values. Our continent seems sometimes clueless, going through a "postmodernist" and materialistic phase which leaves many people anxious and unhappy. The good old virtues of friendship, solidarity and family are more than ever needed. Those virtues are, I believed, shared by the Turks and Belgians. It is on this common ground that I can finish on a more personal note: when I ask myself, waking up in the morning, what I came to do in Turkey, the answer is: to know you and to love you; Sevgili Türk dostlarım, I want to thank you for making this mission so easy. Günaydın Türkiye Belçika'da felsefe üzerine üniversite eğitimimi tamamladıktan sonra 3 yıl hocalık yaptım ve daha sonra Dışişleri'ne girdim. Tahran, Lizbon, Brüksel, Washington ve Cenevre'de görev yaptıktan sonra nihayet geçen yaz kendi isteğimle geldiğim İstanbul'daki Belçika Konsolosluğu görevine başladım. Her ne kadar bir konsolosun görevi daha çok ticari ilişkilerin geliştirilmesi üzerine kuruluysa da, önceki deneyimlerim bana bunun da ötesine geçilebileceğini gösterdi: Ticaret yalnızca ekonomik bir faaliyet değil, aynı zamanda medeniyetler arası alışverişin en önemli araçlarından biri. Dolayısıyla, ülkeler arasında her alandaki ilişki, işbirliği ve ortaklığı besleyen bir unsur. Burada bulunduğum süre zarfında ben de ülkem Belçika ile Türkiye arasındaki ilişkileri bu doğrultuda daha da geliştirmeye gayret edeceğim. Belçika-Türkiye ilişkileri Belçika'nın bağımsızlığını elde ettiği yıllara dek uzanıyor. Dahası, iki ülke arasında özellikle dostluğa ve aile değerlerine verdikleri önem bakımından önemli benzerlikler olduğunu düşünüyorum. Türkiye'nin AB'ye üyeliği bu ülkenin bu güzel değerlerinden tüm Avrupa'nın yararlanabilmesini sağlayacaktır. Ben burada bulunduğum süre boyunca her sabah uyandığımda kendime "Türkiye'ye gelme sebebim nedir?" diye soruyorum. Sorunun cevabıysa şu: "Sizleri tanımak ve sizleri sevmek sevgili Türk dostlarım. Buradaki görevimi kolaylaştırdığınız için sizlere teşekkür ederim."