Distinguished Ambassadors,

Dear Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be here at the World Tulip Summit.

Turkish-Dutch relations go back to almost 500 years. In addition to alliance, friendship and trade, they have remarkable cultural symbols. These cultural symbols include Angora (Ankara) mohair wool, which has started to be woven in Leiden. Another is the influence of Turkish rugs not only in European art, but also specifically on Dutch and Flemish painting. But, the most important symbol of course is the tulip.

The tulip, a symbol of elegance, has become thecultural tapestry of both nations. Originating in Central Asia, the tulip found its way to the gardens of the Ottoman Empire, where it flourished and became a symbol of wealth and beauty. Classical Turkish poetry in particular used the tulip in order to achieve the goal of utterance.Its vibrant patterns and forms have inspired countless works of Turkish art, from exquisite ceramics to valuable textiles, embodying a rich cultural heritage.

Later, the tulip captured the hearts of the Dutch, sparking a floral revolution that transformed landscapes and inspired countless artists.It was famously the product of speculation and forward markets and the centre of a socio-economic phenomenon during the Golden Age before it’s fame spread all over the world and brought all of us together here, today.

Today, as we gather totalk about this magnificentflower, we also recognize a significant milestone: the 100th anniversary of the signature of the Friendship Treaty between Türkiye and the Netherlands. Naturally, we designed the logo for the celebrations in this year with the tulip.

Our Embassy and Keukenhof have done and will performsome activities based on this common symbol since it is the 75th anniversary ofthe opening of the park.Also, this year The Hague is celebrating the125th anniversary of the 1899 The Hague Peace Conference, where an Ottomandelegation was present.

This shared appreciation for the tulip reflects the deeper bonds between our cultures. It serves as a reminder of how a simple flower can unite nations, transcending borders and fostering friendship. As wehonourthe tulip today, wehonournot just the tulip, but the friendship that continues to blossom between our peoples. I am sure in the second century of contemporary Turkish-Dutch friendship, our ties will continue to blossom every year.

Before concluding, I would like to thank first and foremost Mr. İbo Gülsen, whom I met in Canada years ago again thanks to the tulip. I thank him not only for his dedicated work for this conference, but also for his revival of the “Istanbul Tulip” thus making a tangible contribution to the Turkish-Dutch friendship.

I also wish to thank all contributors and sponsors including Turkish Airlines, Yunus Emre Institute, Lale Reisen (MÜSİAD) and Asya Lale Company from Konya, Türkiye.

Thank you.