Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (left) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (right)
Following Monday’s negotiations, we have high hopes for political, energy, economic, and defense cooperation between Hungary and Türkiye, the Hungarian prime minister said after his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During the press conference in Istanbul, Viktor Orbán recalled that this was his 32nd meeting with the head of state of the Asian country, which was no coincidence. An important part of the talks between the two leaders was historical perspectives and approaches, because “historical perspectives help to understand the deep cooperation between the two peoples and governments,” he emphasized.
He expressed the view that there are three cultures and worlds in the West—a Germanic, a Slavic, and a Latin one—to which the Hungarians do not belong, as they left their relatives behind in the East, which is why Hungary’s relations with the Turkish world are of enormous importance. After 2010, President Erdoğan pointed out to him that “new times are coming” and that the Turkish world would gather a lot of energy. At that time, he also invited Hungary to join the Organization of Turkic States, initially only as an observer, but since then, this cooperation has been continuously strengthened, in the head of government’s view.
Productive talks in Istanbul with President @RTErdogan. Our partnership is built on results. We are strengthening trade between our nations, holding the line against migration, securing the TurkStream, and standing together for peace while others choose escalation. Hungary… pic.twitter.com/SLD1Nb3MrK
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 8, 2025
In this context, he noted that cooperation between the two countries had therefore been elevated to the level of priority strategic cooperation and that, in this context, Turkish-Hungarian trade turnover would soon rise from an initial $2.5 billion to $6 billion. “The president has now announced (…) that this is to rise to $10 billion, which Hungary is happy to accept,” he said.
After his bilateral meeting with the Turkish president, the Hungarian prime minister said that he had also taken the opportunity to thank the head of state for his migration policy.
If Türkiye did not protect Europe and Hungary, which lies directly on its southern border, life in Europe would be unbearable today and we would be drowning in a “sea of illegal migration,”
Viktor Orbán explained. He pointed out that Türkiye arrests hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants every year and that there are currently more than three million such people living in the country. The prime minister emphasized that Hungary would do everything in its power to ensure that Türkiye’s efforts were also recognized in Brussels, in the European Union.
We’d be drowning in illegal migration if it weren’t for Türkiye. Hundreds of thousands stopped at their borders each year, and millions kept from progressing further into Europe. Hungary stands with Türkiye and will ensure their efforts are recognised. Thank you, President… pic.twitter.com/W4dYDHKZrg
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 8, 2025
In connection with the war in Ukraine, Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary stood together with Türkiye on the side of peace. “We see no solution on the battlefield, and if there is no solution on the battlefield, peace must be made,” said the Prime Minister, emphasizing that President Erdoğan had already made serious efforts for peace. He was the first successful mediator in this war, and today we have agreed to coordinate our peace efforts, he announced.
Viktor Orbán added that they had also discussed energy issues with their host. Hungary recently agreed with the United States that American sanctions against Russian gas and oil will have no impact on our country. An agreement was also reached with Russia on this matter. “Today, we agreed with President Erdoğan that Türkiye will secure the transport routes for this,” he announced.
This guarantee is “a serious matter” and may be necessary, as 7.5 billion cubic meters of gas were delivered to Hungary via Türkiye this year alone,
the head of government emphasized. At the press conference, the prime minister thanked the Turkish president for the opportunity to cooperate in the energy sector and emphasized that the largest energy companies of both countries are cooperating with each other.
PM Orbán: We will coordinate our peace-making efforts with Türkiye
During his visit to Istanbul, @PM_ViktorOrban underlined that Hungary and Türkiye are entering a new phase of strategic cooperation—one built on trust, shared interests, and a common commitment to… pic.twitter.com/qhMjcup9bZ
— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) December 8, 2025
Viktor Orbán noted that cooperation between the two countries in the defense industry would be further expanded. To this end, Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky held bilateral talks with Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir after the meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Hungary and Türkiye.
Via MTI; Featured image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Kommunikációs Főosztály/Kaiser Ákos
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