President Katalin Novák received Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, her Turkish counterpart, with military honors at Heroes’ Square in Budapest on Monday morning which was followed by talks at Sándor Palace.
President Novák said Turkey was key for Hungary in preventing illegal migration and providing energy security, as well as playing an important role in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Regarding NATO, the two presidents discussed challenges faced by the alliance’s eastern flank and difficulties regarding its expansion. Both hailed the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and referred to increasingly strong bilateral ties. Fully 17 agreements are being signed during the Turkish president’s visit, including the key strategic partnership agreement between the two countries. Novák also hailed the establishment of cooperation in family affairs, and she welcomed the joint cultural season aimed at reflecting “the richness of the cultures” of the two countries and their commonalities. The presidents will attend the opening concert of the joint Hungarian-Turkish cultural season on Monday in the Müpa. This year, Erdoğan is visiting Hungary for the second time and the presidents are meeting for the third time, showing how “strategically important friendly relations are”, the presidential statement said. Novák met Erdoğan in Ankara during her official visit to Turkey between March 29 and 31, and the two presidents met again for talks during the Turkish president’s visit to Budapest on August 20.