Hungary and Turkey are important partners and allies in several areas, be it trade, economy, culture, or defense issues, stated Minister of National Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in Ankara after meeting with Turkish Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar yesterday. The heads of ministries signed a declaration of intent on military cooperation, which creates the legal basis for future military cooperation between the two countries.
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky emphasized that the high-level relations between the two countries are regular and based on mutual trust.
The parties added that, according to the minister, in relation to the war in Ukraine, both countries are known for their position advocating peace, and they are calling for a ceasefire and the immediate start of peace negotiations at every possible opportunity, including in Ankara.
"We agree with our Turkish friends on this, and we highly appreciate the efforts they make for peace, even as mediators between the warring parties," the Hungarian defense minister was quoted as saying.
According to the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky emphasized that they agreed with the Turkish Defense Minister that, in addition to the war, attention should be paid to "the 360-degree threat to NATO, that is, from all sides." Turkey is at the forefront of the fight against terrorism. Turkey and Hungary are both committed and respected members of NATO.
They also announced that Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Akar Hulusi also agreed on the importance of stability in the Western Balkans. In this regard, the Hungarian minister spoke about, according to the Ministry of National Defence, the fact that Hungary is also present with military force in NATO's largest land mission, KFOR (Kosovo Peacekeeping Forces), which until recently was led by a Hungarian commander, and is planned to be taken over by Turkey in a year. command from Italy.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote that the armies of the two countries cooperate in priority areas: almost immediately after the start of the war in Ukraine, Hungary set up a battle group to strengthen NATO's eastern wing, of which Turkey is also a member, as well as the multinational command operating in Székesfehérvár, which fits into the NATO command structure. works with Turkish participation.
According to the ministry, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky emphasized that since 2017, Hungary has been carrying out one of the largest military developments in its history, as part of which outdated technology is being replaced with NATO-compatible, modern equipment. In this, they also count on the products of the Turkish defense industry, he added, mentioning as an example the Gidrán combat vehicle built on Turkish bases, ten of which are already serving with the Hungarian army, and another forty are waiting for assembly in Hungary.
The minister also said that the historic relationship between the two countries during the First World War was highlighted by the inauguration of the monument commemorating the soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the Tuesday of the two-day visit, as well as the cultural commemorative year announced for the 100-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Turkey. In 2024, the HM explained in its announcement.
Source: Magyar Hírlap/MTI
Picture: Tamás Purger
