PM Orbán: Voice of peace should be at least as loud as that of war

Speaking in Ankara at the summit of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), the prime minister said Europe was “suffering from war psychosis”, and was being drawn into the war in Ukraine. He thanked Turkic leaders for “strengthening the voice of peace”. The prime minister also thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his successful mediation between the warring parties so far, and asked him to continue his efforts. “This is the only way there can be a chance for peace,” he said. PM Orbán also thanked Erdogan for Hungarian-Turkish coordination within NATO. The war is the number-one issue in Europe today, which puts Hungary in a difficult situation, PM Orbán said. Because Ukraine is a neighboring country, the effects of the war on Hungary are “severe and direct”, he said, noting high inflation and record energy prices. Many Hungarians have died in the war as well, given that ethnic Hungarians living in western Ukraine are also being conscripted into the army, PM Orbán said. Saving lives is the priority for Hungary, and so it is promoting a ceasefire and peace talks, he added.