'Türkiye is a very important partner of ours': Hungarian foreign minister

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that his country views Türkiye "as an ally, as a friend, and as a strategic partner," emphasizing that the two nations have successfully forged a strategic relationship during the most critical moments.

In an interview with Anadolu during his visit to Türkiye’s capital Ankara on Friday, Szijjarto spoke about Türkiye-Hungary relations, the reshaping of Europe's security architecture, and global issues.

"We are very grateful for Türkiye's very reliable role as a transit partner in ensuring the safety and security of energy supplies for Hungary," he said.

Szijjarto emphasized that it is impossible to talk about Hungary's energy security without Türkiye.

He also noted that the trade volume between the two countries reached a record high in 2024, bringing them even closer to achieving the annual trade volume target of $6 billion.

Highlighting that Türkiye and Hungary have made efforts to support peace between Russia and Ukraine, Szijjarto said: "For the last three years, we have been arguing in a favor of ceasefire and the peace talks to be held."

Szijjarto stated that both countries could be proud of maintaining this stance, emphasizing that they have pursued a "realistic" and "common-sense-based foreign policy strategy" while adopting an approach "based on mutual respect".

Highlighting that Türkiye and Hungary achieve the goals they set each year, he recalled that 2024 was the Türkiye-Hungary Cultural Year, marking it as a significant year for recognizing the similarities and cultural heritage shared by the two nations.

Szijjarto stated that with the Türkiye-Hungary Science and Innovation Year being celebrated this year, cooperation between the two countries would be expanded to include modern industries.

He also mentioned ongoing efforts in the energy sector and expressed his satisfaction with this collaboration.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Szijjarto said: "We are now very hopeful that the war will come to its end."

"This hope is being based on the ongoing negotiations between the US and Russia for the last few years. We had a very clear position that in case of a US-Russia agreement, this war can come to its end," he added.

Emphasizing his hope for the success of the negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement, Szijjarto said he expects European politicians to take a stance that does not hinder this peace process.

About the European security architecture, he recalled that Hungary is a Central European country and said: "We know how it feels when the world is being divided into blocks. We know how it feels to be occupied by the East and neglected by the West."

"We know how it feels to lose four decades of our lives just being artificially distributed to one of the blocs. We don't want these times to come back. We don’t have another four decades to lose from our lives."

Szijjarto argued that for a peaceful and sustainable future for Europe, discussions must include both Russia and Türkiye. "If you speak about having a peaceful, safe life in a sustainable, long-term manner for European people, then you cannot leave neither Russia nor Türkiye out of discussions," he added.

"If you don’t include the country with the second largest army of NATO, if you don’t include the country with one of the biggest nuclear arsenals of the world, into these discussions, you will not be able to create a sustainable security architecture for the continent," he said.

Szijjarto said that, for this reason, it is clear to Hungary that both Türkiye and Russia should be involved in the preparation of this new European security architecture.

Speaking about Türkiye's potential role in the European security architecture, Szijjarto said Türkiye is a “very important partner of ours” when it comes to advocating for peace.

He stated that Türkiye and Hungary have represented this stance very well on the international stage for the past three years, saying: "It was mostly only Türkiye and Hungary speaking up in favor of peace."

“Before Donald Trump entered into office, it was President Erdogan to be the only person to carry out a successful mission of mediation in this war," the Hungarian foreign minister said.

Emphasized the importance of Türkiye's mediation role, he said: "All of us do remember the grain deal on the Black Sea that was definitely merit of the Turkish government and President himself."

“Türkiye is a crucial country in maintaining peace and ensuring stability, and this should be taken into account,” Szijjarto said.

In response to a question about Israel's violation of the ceasefire in Gaza, the Hungarian foreign minister said that the events in the region since Oct. 7, 2023, have been very upsetting.

"We regret a lot that the original agreement to move on with the ceasefire could not be maintained," he said, and emphasized that especially considering the suffering of families and children unrelated to the conflict.

Emphasizing that the events in Gaza risk escalating tensions in the region and that attention should be given to what is happening in Lebanon, Syria, and other neighboring areas, Szijjarto said: "We have a fear that if the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East add up on each other that can cause serious risk for the entire global security."

In response to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's potential visit to Hungary in April despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, Szijjarto said: "Whatever we do in foreign affairs... it usually attracts reactions, harsh reactions from all over."

Highlighting that Hungary is home to a significant Jewish population, he emphasized the strong relations between the two countries.

On the ICC's decision, he added: "When it comes to the ICC... the ICC is struggling with the same challenges as many other international organizations—being biased, being unbalanced, and becoming political."

"Therefore, we Hungarians have not reconsidered our relationship or our participation in ICC activities, and our government will soon make a decision on this matter," he added.