Accompanied by a large delegation, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Budapest on Monday, on his second visit to the European country in four months. The president was welcomed by his counterpart Katalin Novak and was later scheduled to meet Hungarian premier Viktor Orban.
Novak and Erdoğan joined a welcoming ceremony at Budapest's Heroes Square before heading to a meeting of bilateral talks with Orban.
Current "regional and global issues" and "steps to be taken to deepen bilateral cooperation" will be discussed, according to the Turkish Presidency. Energy security and Sweden's NATO membership are expected to be on Monday's agenda as well, with Hungary and Türkiye being the only holdouts among the alliance to not have ratified the Nordic country's bid yet. Hungary has still not voted to approve Sweden's entry into NATO, aligning itself with Türkiye, which had long blocked Stockholm's membership and has been stalling the process even after Erdoğan lifted his veto in June.
Erdoğan's visit coincides with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Later on Monday, the two leaders will co-chair a meeting of the Turkish-Hungarian High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. The signing of 16 bilateral agreements with Orban is also scheduled.
The president was welcomed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto at the airport as he disembarked the plane, in the company of first lady Emine Erdoğan.
Most members of the Cabinet are accompanying Erdoğan, from the minister of family and social services and foreign minister to the minister of energy and natural resources, minister of national defense, interior minister, minister of culture and tourism, and minister of commerce. Other top officials, including director of National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Ibrahim Kalın, Communications Directorate Chair Fahrettin Altun and chief presidential adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç also accompanied the president.
