Turkish-Hungarian football brotherhood exhibition opens in Budapest

As part of the 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year, an exhibition that has highlighted the friendly football relations between the two countries has opened in the capital Budapest.

"This exhibition shows how close Türkiye and Hungary are, not only in football but also in terms of cultural and human values. We will strengthen our brotherhood and friendship on the green pitch," said Turkish Ambassador to Budapest Gulsen Karanis Eksioglu, who attended the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

The exhibition "The Turkish-Hungarian Brotherhood on the Green Pitch" has been organised by the Turkish Embassy at Yunus Emre Institute Turkish Cultural Center in Budapest, with contributions from the Hungarian Olympic and Sports Museum.

The exhibition depicts the shared history of Turkish and Hungarian football and both countries' experiences in the sport, friendship, and ties. Gulsen Karanis Eksioglu, the wife of former professional football player Ekrem Eksioglu, also attended the event.

In addition to Gulsen Eksioglu, Istvan Igloi-Nagy, the head of the Sports Diplomacy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade of Hungary, and Director of Yunus Emre Institute (YEE) in Budapest Mustafa Aydogdu, as well as former Director of the Hungarian Sports Museum Lajos Szabo, the exhibition's curator, and many football fans, attended the cultural event.

Visitors may also see photos of the matches between these nations, football shirts and equipment, and the life stories of Hungarian football players who played for Türkiye's Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Besiktas.

Joint cultural year

Ankara and Budapest have solid bonds and celebrate 2024 as their joint year of culture.

Hungary and Türkiye share a history, as Hungary has several Ottoman-era monuments, including the Gul Baba Tomb.

Yunus Emre Institute, a Turkish public foundation founded in 2007, aims to promote the Turkish language, history, culture, and art worldwide. It operates at least 80 cultural centres worldwide, with offices in Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and Washington DC.

Many Hungarian footballers have previously represented Turkish teams. Attila Szalai and Balazs Dzsudzsak are well-known Hungarian players who have played for Turkish clubs.

Hungarian international Szalai was a Fenerbahce defender in 2021-2023, and former PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder Dzsudzsak played for Bursaspor in the 2015-16 football seasons.

Türkiye and Hungary have met many times in football, including the European qualifiers, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, UEFA Nations League, and friendlies.