Dutch consulate marks 400 years of Turkish ties

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The Dutch Consulate General in Istanbul held a reception Dec. 9 to celebrate the approaching New Year and to mark the 400th year of the establishment of cultural and trade ties between the Netherlands and Turkey.

Among the participants of the “Dutch December Delight” reception were Ahmet Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam, which is Istanbul’s sister city, and Feijenoord Mayor Seyit Yeyden, who has Turkish roots, along with many Turkish and foreign participants.

The consulate has been supporting many cultural and artistic events in Istanbul to further promote the good cultural ties between both countries, which were established in 1612 when the first Dutch ambassador, Cornelis Haga, was sent to Istanbul and picked his residence at what is today called the Dutch Palace.

The social and cultural ties between Turkey and the Netherlands have continued with acceleration over the past 400 years. Within that framework, the consulate general supported many cultural and art events in 2011, including the 12th Istanbul Biennial and 14 parallel events.

Ties between the two countries have been further reinforced, especially in the last year, Consul General Onno Kervers said at the opening speech of the reception, adding that he hoped the night would provide another step toward deeper relations between the Netherlands and Turkey. Famous Turkish pop singer Göksel took the stage after the reception.