Türkiye, Hungary sign slew of protocols during visit by President Erdogan

During a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Hungary, the two countries have signed a cooperation agreement to boost bilateral relations to the level of enhanced strategic partnership.

The 17-article agreement was signed in the capital Budapest, where Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban chaired the sixth meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council between the two nations on Monday.

Several high-level and senior officials, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, National Defence Minister Yasar Guler, and Hungarian representatives, were present during the signing ceremony.

Turkish Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas and Hungarian Culture and Innovation Minister Janos Csak signed a memorandum of understanding for increased cooperation in social services.

Csak also signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy on collaboration related to graduate policies and scholarship programs.

Cooperation in defence, science

Joint efforts on science and innovation, along with research and development in defence technology, were in focus in another agreement, initialed by Csak and defence chief Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky on the Hungarian side and Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır of Türkiye.

A Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in defence industry was signed by head of Türkiye's Defence Industries Presidency Haluk Gorgun and Szalay-Bobrovniczky.

Additionally, Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Visual and Audiovisual Policy Cooperation.

Szijjarto and Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar also signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy cooperation.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Szijjarto inked a General Cooperation Agreement, while Türkiye's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and his Hungarian counterpart Sandor Pinter signed a pact on collaboration in civil emergency situations.

Cooperation in trade

Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said he, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır attended a meeting with Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto and Energy Minister Csaba Lantos to discuss joint investments and new collaborations.

Parties agreed to convene the first session of the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) committee on February 12.

JETCO will provide a platform for representatives from the business circle of Türkiye and Hungary to explore mutual opportunities, he added.

Pledging to maintain efforts to increase our trade volume with Hungary in line with goals set out by President Erdogan, he said:

"The Hungarian side stated that our request for an increase in land transit quotas will be taken into consideration and that they will put the development of relations with Türkiye on the agenda during the EU Presidency, which they will assume in the second half of 2024."

President Erdogan's visit to Hungary came at the invitation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

In Budapest, Erdogan and Orban co-chaired the sixth meeting of the Türkiye-Hungary High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.