Türkiye and Hungary, two close European allies, met in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban were in the United States for a key NATO summit, where leaders of the alliance's members met to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other security-related matters.
Erdoğan's meeting with Orban was his first bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the event. Turkish sources said the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and regional and global issues. Erdoğan told Orban that Türkiye is continuing its peaceful efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications.
President Erdoğan also underlined that the international community should increase its efforts to ensure peace in these regions. The president told Orban that Ankara expects support for revitalizing Türkiye’s European Union accession process and advancing relations with the bloc during Hungary's term presidency.
In a string of social media posts after their meeting, Orban said Erdoğan was an important partner “in our peace mission.” “Türkiye is the only country that successfully mediated between the warring parties in the Russia-Ukraine war,” he said. He said the most important topic of their meeting was the Russia-Ukraine war, “which, as expected, entered a new phase that is more brutal than ever before.” “It is clear that if we want to end the suffering, we need peace, peace initiatives. (Türkiye) already proved during the war that it is an indispensable player in peace-making. President Erdoğan was the only successful statesman who was able to conclude a Russian-Ukrainian agreement regarding grain shipments in the Black Sea.”
“I asked the president to support the U.S. in our peace mission. The positions of the warring parties are still far from each other. But if the friends of peace join forces, together we can take the next step in the direction of peace,” Orban said.
Relations between Türkiye and Hungary were elevated to the level of a strategic partnership in 2013 after establishing the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. The friendly ties have gained momentum in every field in recent years. Last December, the two countries celebrated the 100th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday Türkiye could not get what he wanted on the Palestine-Israel conflict from the military bloc and he would bring this issue
Before leaving for the U.S., President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday Türkiye could not get what he wanted on the Palestine-Israel conflict from the military bloc and he would bring this issue due to the spotlight at the alliance’s summit. He said that he’d warn NATO on the issue.
The president is a staunch advocate of the Palestinian cause that seeks reinstatement of lands occupied by Israel and during the latest round of conflict, he raised the voice of resistance movement Hamas. Türkiye is engaged in global diplomatic efforts to maintain an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, where thousands of innocent civilians were slaughtered in the Israeli attacks, and, later, a lasting, two-state solution. “At a time the sincerity of our common values is tested, we will bring the ongoing massacre against Palestinian people in Gaza to the spotlight at the summit. We will highlight that the international community failed to stop Israel in this dire situation, and it is impossible for global conscience to be relieved without the establishment of a fair, permanent peace in Palestine. I will raise this issue at the highest level and convey our assessment of the issue to our counterparts in bilateral talks,” Erdoğan said. “We still didn’t get the results we expected on the Israel-Palestine issue with NATO. I hope we can get results this time. Our foreign minister and defense minister are also holding talks on the issue,” he said.
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Erdoğan stated on Tuesday that the world knows Türkiye's support of Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. "We also adhere to our principled stance that opposes NATO to be a party to the conflict while it plans steps to support Ukraine," he said. Türkiye sought to mediate between Russia and Ukraine and even hosted a prisoner exchange between the two countries. It also brokered a grain deal amid conflict and is among few countries maintaining good ties with both countries. "We always said a fair peace would not have any loser. We took up the challenge to clear the way for a permanent peace after a cease-fire, primarily through the Istanbul process," he said, referring to a landmark process launched in 2022. "Every day where guns are fired and lives are lost shows we are on the right side on this issue," he said.
