Turkey, Hungary Pledging Cooperation Despite Western Criticism
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News reporting from Budapest, Hungary
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The leaders of Hungary and Turkey, who face criticism over their perceived authoritarian style, agreed in Budapest Sunday to extend natural gas deals involving Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine.
“Hungary and Turkey are two good friends,” noted Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó after talks between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
About 80 percent of Hungary’s natural gas needs are met by Russia, and Hungary’s Orbán showed no intention Sunday to end or dramatically reduce his nation’s dependence on Moscow’s fossil fuel resources.
Hungary’s energy giant MVM inked an agreement with Turkey’s Botas on the purchase of 275 million cubic meters of natural gas next year, officials confirmed.
Much, if not all, of that natural gas, is believed to originate from Russia. However, Hungary’s rightwing government has defied European Union and Ukrainian calls to bypass Russia saying the country’s “energy security” could not be threatened by “Brussels bureaucrats,” the “leftist liberals,” or the “dollar left” opposition which supports EU policies.
Orbán and his political ally Erdogan have been accused of maintaining cozy relations with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin despite his alleged involvement in war crimes.
Orbán views the relationship as pragmatic, like Erdogan, who has been pushing for peace talks.
POLICY INITIATIVES
With both leaders seeking similar foreign policy initiatives, Szijjártó said that “the level of cooperation” between Turkey and Hungary has been raised “to a priority strategic partnership.” Erdogan, he said, will come to Budapest on December 18 to sign the necessary documents.
“Both countries benefit greatly from this bilateral cooperation,” including on natural gas, said Szijjártó.
The Hungarian and Turkish leaders also discussed the expansion of the NATO military alliance into Sweden. Both countries are the last member states needed to complete Sweden’s entry but haven’t been in a hurry to comply. Turkish president accused Sweden of harboring Kurdish ‘terrorists,’ mainly opponents of his leadership, while Orbán complained about Sweden questioning his democratic credentials.
The Nordic nation publicly criticized his government’s reported crackdown on independent media, corruption, and poor record on maintaining the rule of law.
While both leaders now say they support Sweden’s entry, they aren’t exactly in a hurry to push their parliaments to ratify the agreement.
Foreign Minister Szijjártó noted that the parliaments in both countries were on summer holiday but added that the issue could be put on the agenda in Turkey and Hungary this autumn. “We kept in constant consultation and contact, informing each other about the status and processes of national parliamentary procedures,” he said.
Besides Erdogan, Orbán made it a point of meeting other perceived authoritarian leaders, including from Serbia, from where President Aleksandar Vučić pledged to supply more Russian natural gas to Hungary if Kyiv declines to extend an agreement allowing its transit across Ukrainian territory.
TERMINATING DEAL
“We’ve heard in recent days that Ukraine would like to terminate the previously concluded natural gas transit agreement with Russia,” Szijjártó said.
“Today, the Serbian president made it clear that if Hungary would like to increase natural gas shipments through Serbia to Hungary, then Serbia can ensure the necessary shipment capacities,” he added.
Besides the Turkish and Serbian leaders, Orbán was hosting the leaders of, Bosnia, Qatar, and several Central Asian nations on Sunday as the World Athletics Championships take place in Budapest.
The lineup of guests, devoid of any leaders from Hungary’s Western allies in the EU and NATO, was seen as reflecting Orbán’s push to increase diplomatic and political cooperation with autocracies in the Balkans and Asia.
The timing of inviting self-declared Islamist politician Erdogan seemed odd to critics: on August 20, Hungary celebrates Saint Stephen’s Day, remembering the foundation of Hungary as a Christian state.
The National Holiday was crowned with Europe’s largest firework show illuminating the skies over Budapest, the capital.
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