Turkish Day in Hungary – Hungarian-Turkish Relations at All-Time Best, Says Ambassador

Budapest, October 29 (MTI) – Hungarian-Turkish relations are very close and at an all-time best, Turkish ambassador in Budapest Sakir Fakili told MTI, marking the Turkish Day of the public media on Wednesday.

The past two years have seen a breakthrough in bilateral relations, thanks to high-level meetings and more intensive political dialogue. He cited visits to Hungary by Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Cemil Cicek in October 2012, then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in February 2013 and then President Abdullah Gul in February 2014, as well as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visit to Turkey in December 2013.

The ambassador said Turkey could play an important role in Hungary’s “opening to the east” policy because it maintains close relations with other countries affected by this strategy. Turkey is willing to cooperate with Hungary in implementing this strategy, he said.

Both Hungary and Turkey have the willingness to further strengthen ties in all fields of life, Fakili said. Economic cooperation is good but there are still plenty of opportunities to intensify relations, which both countries need to work on, the ambassador said, referring to business forums organised in both countries and regular meetings by the economic mixed committee. The aim is for bilateral trade to reach 5 billion dollars by the end of 2015, he said.

Hungary and Turkey could efficiently cooperate in the energy sector, transport, agriculture, research and education, he said.

Turkey also wants to further strengthen cultural links with Hungary and the setting up of the Yunus Emre Turkish cultural centre in Budapest and the Balassi Institute in Istanbul serve this aim, he added.

The ambassador said Turkey greatly appreciates Hungary’s support for the country’s aspirations to join the European Union and will not forget that Hungary’s parliament was among the first to recognise its independence in 1922.

Photo: MTI – Tamas Soki, Peter, Komka

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters