The author is research fellow at the John Lukacs Institute for Strategy and Politics, based in Hungary.

- Hungary’s hosting of the OTS informal summit in May 2025 — the first ever held in the European Union — represented a notable achievement for Hungarian foreign policy and demonstrated that the Turkic world has a strong and reliable partner in Europe.

- Strengthening defense-industry ties with an EU member state bolsters Türkiye’s position in the European security architecture while creating opportunities for Hungarian firms within Türkiye’s rapidly expanding military industry.

ISTANBUL

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to Türkiye on Dec. 8, 2025 marked the latest meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, established in 2013. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted the meeting at the historic Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, providing an opportunity for the Hungarian and Turkish leaders to assess the current state of bilateral relations. With their respective ministers in attendance, the two sides signed 16 agreements spanning a wide range of areas, from innovation and technology to defense and economic cooperation.

This year has been designated the Hungarian-Turkish Year of Innovation, paving the way for a series of new initiatives following the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year (2023-2024), which was launched to commemorate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Notably, Hungary was the first country to conclude a friendship agreement with the newly established Republic of Türkiye in December 1923.

Golden age in Hungarian-Turkish relations

In recent years, Hungarian-Turkish relations have undoubtedly entered a golden age. Bilateral trade is booming and is close to reaching $6 billion, prompting leaders to set an ambitious new target of $10 billion for the coming years. Energy security also featured prominently during the talks. The Turkish Stream gas pipeline supplies the overwhelming majority of Hungary's natural gas imports, making it a strategic route for the country and an example of Türkiye’s policy of becoming a regional energy hub.

Recent developments, however, have elevated Türkiye from the role of a mere transit country to a supplier as well, as Hungary began importing gas in 2024. The Hungarian oil company MOL Group and the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) have recently launched joint drilling operations in Hungary in search of new oil deposits. Their cooperation, however, is not new. The two companies also collaborate in Azerbaijan, where MOL Group acquired shares in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli oil field in 2019.

The visit also launched a new Joint Consultation Mechanism designed to bring together Hungarian and Turkish foreign and defense ministers, national security advisers, and representatives of defense industry companies. Its aim is to coordinate more closely on shared challenges. Although the two countries are situated in different geographical regions – Hungary in the heart of Europe and Türkiye at the intersection of Europe and Asia – their geopolitical challenges increasingly overlap.

The Russia-Ukraine war, whose end remains difficult to foresee, is a major concern for both. The Balkans, a key region for each country, continue to generate common security issues and have led to sustained cooperation in international missions such as EUFOR Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Kosovo. KFOR has previously been commanded by Hungary’s Lt. Gen. Ferenc Kajari and is currently commanded by Türkiye’s Maj. Gen. Ozkan Ulutas. More broadly, the migration crisis of 2015-2016 reminded the EU that developments in the Middle East can swiftly affect Europe if it fails to cooperate with Türkiye. This experience also encouraged the Hungarian government to show greater understanding of Turkish concerns within EU frameworks.

Hungary in Organization of Turkic States

Facilitated by Türkiye, Hungary's accession in 2018 as an observer to the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) (then the Turkic Council) added a new pillar to Hungary's traditional foreign policy. Since the 1990s, this policy has been based on fostering good relations with neighboring countries (including through the Visegrád Group), protecting Hungarian minorities abroad, and promoting EU and NATO integration.

Since 2018, cooperation with the Turkic world has expanded: an OTS Representation Office was established in Budapest in 2019, Hungarian embassies have opened in all member states and vice versa, and trade has grown rapidly. Major Hungarian companies have gained a strong presence, especially in the energy and banking sectors in the Turkic world. Today, Hungary is the third-largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan, largely due to the acquisitions of MOL and MVM Groups, and the Hungarian OTP Bank has acquired Ipoteka Bank, securing a significant market share in Uzbekistan. The recent visit to Türkiye also produced a new agreement with the Hungarian company 4iG, which operates in the telecommunications, space, and defense industries. Strengthening defense-industry ties with an EU member state bolsters Türkiye’s position in the European security architecture while creating opportunities for Hungarian firms within Türkiye’s rapidly expanding military industry.

Hungary, owing to its unique position, aspires to act as a bridge between the Turkic world and the EU. Thousands of students from OTS countries have been awarded Stipendium Hungaricum scholarships to study in Hungary, gaining firsthand experience of Central Europe. Cultural initiatives – such as the renowned Great Kurultay, held biennially in southern Hungary – attract tens of thousands of visitors from across the Turkic world who wish to explore shared steppe cultural heritage.

Diplomatically, Hungary has also demonstrated its understanding of Turkish interests within the EU on multiple occasions, including during Türkiye's 2019 Peace Spring operation. This makes Hungary a valuable partner for other OTS members as well. In the current era of geopolitical transformation – marked by bloc formation and diverse hedging strategies – OTS members stand to benefit from increased economic, military, and energy cooperation. Contemporary Hungarian foreign policy, which seeks to build connectivity between different blocs and respond swiftly to shifts in global politics, has many parallels with Turkish diplomacy, thereby providing a broader foundation for strengthened cooperation. Hungary’s hosting of the OTS informal summit in May 2025 – the first ever held in the EU – represented a notable achievement for Hungarian foreign policy and demonstrated that the Turkic world has a strong and reliable partner in Europe.

In conclusion, Hungary and Türkiye have significantly strengthened their bilateral relations since 2013, establishing numerous mechanisms across a wide range of fields. This deepening partnership enables them to explore new areas of cooperation at a time of growing geopolitical and geoeconomic complexity.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Anadolu's editorial policy.

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