Heyday of Turkish-Hungarian Relations

As part of the 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year events, a conference titled “On the 100th Year of Friendship: The Heyday of Turkish-Hungarian Relations” was organized by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB).

The conference titled “On the 100th Year of Friendship: The Heyday of Turkish-Hungarian Relations” organized by YTB as part of the 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year events was attended by YTB President Abdullah Eren, Hungarian Ambassador to Ankara Viktor Matis, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Ankara Yerkebulan Sapiyev, Kyrgyz Ambassador to Ankara Ruslan Kazakbaev and other guests. The conference was delivered by Dr. Zoltán Egeresi, a researcher at the Ludovika University of Public Services in Hungary and a Turkish graduate.

   We Will Host Events All Year Long

Addressing the crowd during the event, YTB President Abdullah Eren pointed out that YTB tries to develop cultural relations with kin and related communities, no matter where they are. Reminding that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Turkish-Hungarian Friendship Treaty, Eren noted that many actions will be taken in Türkiye and Hungary all year long for the Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year to boost the shared historical and cultural ties. As the President of YTB, he said YTB is set to host various events to improve the bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the two countries and added: “YTB will also contribute to events and take various actions to improve further bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the two countries. The conference titled “On the 100th Year of Friendship: The Heyday of Turkish-Hungarian Relations” is one of these events.”

Collaboration Among Our Diaspora Organizations to be Improved

Mr. Eren, who noted that YTB will offer strong support as the President to the Great Turan Congress to be held in August, announced that international conferences on Turkish-Hungarian relations will be organized in 2024. Emphasizing that YTB will further strengthen the cooperation among diaspora organizations, Eren said: “We will continue to strengthen the cooperation among our diaspora organizations and boost our joint actions for Hungarian nationals residing in Türkiye and Turkish nationals residing in Hungary. In the same vein, we will build relations and cooperation with our Hungarian friends on the theme of Graduate Policies and Scholarship Programs on a much broader, systematic, and sustainable ground.”

We are to Expedite Publication, Translation, and Printing Projects

Mr. Eren said YTB would expedite the translation and publication projects and introduce publications that have not yet been translated or have been translated incompletely to Turkish and Hungarian readers and added: “ We will compile the inventory of architectural monuments that echo the Turkish impressions in Hungary and expedite publication activities to uncover the intangible cultural heritage. We will also organize events to promote Turkish culture to the undergraduates of Hungarian universities. We will organize historical and cultural events in both countries.”

Many Projects Implemented in Both Countries

Taking the floor during the event, Hungarian Ambassador to Ankara Viktor Matis said that many projects were implemented in both countries as the year 2024 was declared the Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year. Adding that Hungary was cooperating with YTB to this end, Matis said: “I believe that we will see more Hungarian students joining the Türkiye Scholarships for education purposes next year. On the other hand, we visited nearly 20 cities, including Kütahya, Nevşehir, and Antalya, in addition to Istanbul and Ankara as part of some cultural events.  I would like to thank YTB again for this wonderful event.”

Relations Between Hungary and Türkiye Date Back to Old Times

Zoltán Egeresi, a researcher at the Ludovika University of Public Services in Hungary and a Turkish graduate, delivered a presentation, pointing to the fact that the relations between Türkiye and Hungary have experienced a heyday over the past 15 to 20 years. Mr. Egeresi noted that the relations between Hungary and Türkiye date back to old times and that Hungarians co-existed with various Turkish tribes in Central Asia.

Mr. Egeresi said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Hungary in 2013 was key for the relations and noted that relations between the two countries gained momentum after that.

Noting that TIKA and Yunus Emre Institute have rolled out offices in Hungary over the last 10 years, Mr. Egeresi also said that students in Hungary have the opportunity to pursue education in Türkiye through YTB's Türkiye Scholarships scheme. He emphasized that such actions are crucial to further improve the relations.