Orbán: Hungarian security, Turkish stability directly linked
Change language:
Hungarian security and Turkish stability are directly linked, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Budapest on Monday.
“A stable Turkish government and a stable Turkey are a precondition for Hungary not to be endangered in any way due to overland migration,” Orbán said at a joint press conference after the talks.
It is Hungary’s interest that Turkey should remain strong and able to maintain peace in its region and control illegal migration to Europe, Orbán said.
Orbán expressed appreciation to Turkey for accommodating several million refugees that arrived via neighbouring countries and thanked the Erdogan for “fully meeting” Turkey’s agreement with the European Union, which he said was another precondition for European security.
On another subject, Orbán said that Hungary and Turkey would raise the level of military cooperation and build “powerful ties” in the military industry. He added that in recent decades “there have been no money or energy left to develop the military” but “we will make up for that now; Hungary’s goal is to build a modern and effective national army”.
Concerning business cooperation, Orbán said that the mutual goal of increasing the turnover of bilateral trade to 5 billion dollars has not yet been reached. He noted, however, a 19 percentage point increase in the first half of this year, and said that meeting the original goal “does not seem unrealistic”. He also said that Hungary’s Eximbank has set up a pool of 420 million dollars to boost bilateral economic cooperation.
Turkish investment in Hungary was also discussed, and Orbán asked Erdogan to encourage Turkish investors accordingly.
They also discussed opportunities for Hungarian businesses in Turkey, and Orbán highlighted farming and water management as potential areas.
Orbán said Hungarian foreign policy must look to three cities: Ankara, Moscow and Berlin, three great powers around which Hungary has revolved for many centuries.
“This is why it is important that ties between Hungary and Turkey are always balanced, orderly and positive, and that the relationship between the two countries is based on respect,” he said.