In honor of the centennial of the 1923 Turkey-Hungary Friendship Agreement, both countries are preparing to sign sixteen agreements covering a wide range of industries. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, is scheduled to visit Budapest in order to strengthen bilateral relations and hold talks on trade, diplomacy, and other areas of cooperation.
The sixth meeting of the Turkey-Hungary High Level Strategic Cooperation Council will take place during Erdogan's visit. This council meeting, which will be presided over by Hungary's president and prime minister, is set to happen in Budapest, according to an official release.
It states that "Turkey-Hungary relations at the strategic partnership level will be comprehensively assessed, exploring avenues to deepen cooperation between the two countries."
It is planned for Turkey and Hungary's strategic collaboration to advance to the status of an enhanced strategic cooperation. With the establishment of the High status Strategic Cooperation Council in 2013, relations between Turkey and Hungary advanced to the status of strategic partnership. By 2023, both parties agreed to upgrade it to the level of an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
According to insiders, Erdogan's visit will mainly concentrate on cooperation in important fields like energy, trade, military, culture, and the economy. Ministers in charge of commerce, energy, national defense, internal affairs, foreign policy, and natural resources will accompany the Turkish president.
The Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS) and the public natural gas business MVM in Hungary signed a natural gas export agreement earlier this year, which states that Turkey would start exporting natural gas to Hungary in 2024. Furthermore, Hungary hopes to broaden its foreign policy by orienting itself toward the East as an observer in the Organization of Turkic States (TDT).
During Erdogan's momentous visit, Turkey's ambassador to Budapest, Gulsen Karanis Eksioglu, hailed the beginning of the 2024 Turkey-Hungary Culture Year. She stated, "We aim to elevate our relations from the strategic partnership level to the enhanced strategic partnership level, with energy, economic and commercial relations, defense industry, and cultural fields standing out as priority areas for the development of cooperation."
When looking back on 2023, Eksioglu highlighted the impetus that was gained in bilateral ties through high-level visits and interactions, highlighting the real significance of the partnership.