Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has expressed strong solidarity towards Turkey during his visit to Ankara, which is much appreciated, said Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.
What's more, PM Yildirim said that Hungary’s reaction to the July 15 attempted coup in Turkey should be an example to all European Union countries.
He said the “clean-up” in the aftermath of the coup attempt would be carried out according to a democratic rule of law. The Hungarian authorities are willing to cooperate, he said.
Turkey holds Fetullah Gulen and his network responsible for the coup attempt and has declared his group a terrorist organization. Szijjártó said that Hungary stands by Turkey in fighting terrorism.
Szijjártó also met with Speaker of Turkish Parliament Ismail Kahraman, who said Turkey considers Hungarians friends, relatives and allies. Kahraman thanked Hungary for its “sensitivity over the coup attempt”, according to reports.
Minister Szijjártó said that the Hungarian government had stated clearly that the events in Turkey were a terrorist act.
Szijjártó also met Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, and the two held a joint press conference. Cavusoglu said Hungary was a “real friend”, immediately expressing unconditional support towards the Turkish government, while many other countries and politicians had waited for the outcome of the incident.
Political relations between the two countries are thriving, Minister Cavusoglu said.
There is no doubt that Europe, and Hungary as a member of the EU, has an interest in the stability of Turkey, the Hungarian minister added.
He pointed out that if Turkey is not stable, the pressure of migration weighing upon Europe may increase dramatically, and illegal immigration may once again flood the Western Balkans route in masses. This would put Hungary’s southern border under immense pressure, and the scenes observed last autumn would recur, he stressed.