As part of an ongoing series of discussions held with members of the diplomatic and international business community in Hungary, we had the privilege to conduct an in-depth interview with Her Excellency C. Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu, Ambassador of the republic of Türkiye in Hungary.
The interview is included in our series together with the Ambassadors of Austria, Brazil, Estonia, India, Italy, and Morocco, Latvia and with the Minister Counselor at the Serbian Embassy in Budapest.
This conversation provided an insightful and comprehensive understanding of various aspects related to bilateral relations, and the business landscape within the Hungarian-Turkish context. We express our sincere gratitude once more to the Ambassador.
Can you talk about the bilateral relations between the Republic of Türkiye and Hungary?
We consider Hungary a distant relative, a close neighbor, despite not sharing a common border, and a traditional partner. We emphasize these points on nearly every platform. The relationship between Türkiye and Hungary has a long and deeply rooted history. We have a very rich shared cultural heritage dating back to Ottoman existence in Hungary.
Politically speaking, especially today, we enjoy excellent relations between Türkiye and Hungary. For example, in 2013, we established a high-level strategic cooperation mechanism.
Every two years, our leaders meet in the form of joint cabinet meetings. During the last visit of our president to Hungary on December 18th, 2023, we elevated our political relations from a strategic partnership to an enhanced strategic partnership, which is the highest level we maintain with any country.
The main purpose of our president’s recent visit was to hold the 6th Meeting of the Turkish-Hungarian High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. (the previous meeting was held in Ankara in 2021, and it was Hungary’s turn to host us).
2024 is particularly significant for relations between our two countries as it marks the 100th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Hungary was the first country to sign a friendship treaty with the newly established Republic of Türkiye on December 18th, 1923, just one month after the declaration of the Republic.
Therefore, we also celebrate this year as the Mutual Year of Culture.
What are the main sectors of cooperation between Hungary and Türkiye?
When we upgraded our relations from a strategic partnership to an enhanced strategic partnership, we also expanded the scope of our collaboration. ‘Enhanced’ means that we are focusing on specific areas such as defense, culture, trade, energy, tourism, and science.
During the last visit of our president, a total of 17 agreements were signed. In addition to the political declaration to elevate our relationship, three agreements involved the private sector, with the remaining 14 covering the areas I mentioned. We are intensifying our efforts in these sectors.
Currently, the trade volume between our two countries stands at around 4 billion dollars, with the goal to increase this to 6 billion dollars. Approximately 500 Turkish companies are operating in Hungary, and we anticipate reaching this new trade level soon. Our businesses are also making substantial investments in Hungary, including in sectors like healthcare and energy.
For instance, BOTAŞ, the Turkish natural gas company, recently began exporting natural gas to Hungary, making Hungary the first country to receive our exports despite not sharing a common border. This agreement, signed in August with MVM, initiated the supply of 275 million cubic meters of gas starting April 1st.
In the defense sector, Türkiye is aiding Hungary’s comprehensive military modernisation program. We have initiated a joint venture to produce military vehicles, known as EJDER YALÇIN in Turkish (armored vehicles) and Gidrans in Hungarian. This cooperation underscores the strong ties between our two nations as NATO allies.
Additionally, our security cooperation is notable, especially in border protection and combating illegal migration. In 2021, we signed an agreement that have led to the deployment of 50 Turkish police officers to work alongside Hungarian security forces at the Romanian and Serbian borders. This collaboration is crucial, as Hungary is a key protector of the Schengen Area’s border.
Can you please elaborate on the relations that Türkiye and Hungary have in the field of culture, education and science?
With pleasure. As I mentioned earlier, this year is particularly significant due to the Mutual Year of Culture, celebrating the centennial of our relations. The inauguration took place here in Budapest on December 18th, 2023, during our president’s visit, accompanied by eight ministers, at MÜPA.
The event showcased a remarkable joint program featuring Turkish and Hungarian artists. The synergy between the teams, despite limited practice time, resulted in a fantastic display of music, dance, and folklore.
Our goal is to host 100 events to mark the 100th anniversary. To date, we have already accomplished around 40 events, despite the busy holiday season. Our comprehensive schedule is displayed on a large calendar here, which lists all planned and confirmed activities.
Our cultural exchanges extend beyond the arts to include sports, music, gastronomy, and history. It’s a holistic approach to diplomacy. We are delighted to host approximately 1,000 experts from Türkiye, visiting 8 cities and over 30 venues across Hungary.
In terms of education, we have a robust partnership with the Hungarian government through the Stipendium Hungarikum Scholarship Program t, facilitating the annual arrival of Turkish students at all academic levels; from undergraduate to PhD. The welcoming environment and the excellent quality of Hungarian universities make this a very successful collaboration.
Looking ahead, after the Year of Culture, we will focus on science and innovation for 2025. This initiative was formalized in December through a Declaration of Intent signed by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Innovation and the Turkish Ministry of Science and Technology. This partnership aims to enhance collaboration between universities and technology parks, creating new synergies in innovation.
Additionally, we maintain strong ties with ELTE University and Szeged University, which hosts the world’s oldest Turkology Department and an Altaistic Department (relating to the Turkic, Tungusic and Mongolian language). These collaborations are crucial, such as the symposium on Turkish-Hungarian historical relations, featuring esteemed professors from Türkiye and both universities.
This ongoing academic engagement is expected to yield fruitful collaborations over the next two years.
Could you elaborate on the diplomatic engagement between the two countries and the current foreign policies?
We enjoy an excellent relationship with our Hungarian partners and colleagues across various international platforms, including NATO, the Council of Europe, the Organization of Turkish States, and the European Union. Since establishing the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council with Hungary in 2013, we have participated in joint initiatives on all these platforms.
In particular, as Hungary is set to assume the EU presidency in July, and since Türkiye is an official candidate country, we are hopeful for more concrete steps towards Turkish membership under the Hungarian presidency.
The Organization of Turkish States is another significant platform where Hungary has been an observer since 2018 but acts with the commitment of a full member. We are both pleased and proud of this cooperation. Notably, Hungary hosts the first ever office of the Organization of Turkish States in the EU, located in Budapest at the YBL Villa.
Moreover, our partnership extends to joint initiatives in Africa through the GoAfrica Turkish-Hungarian Business Forum, which focuses on collaborative projects in Africa. Although recent global events have paused new initiatives, we are confident that our cooperation will continue to grow.
We also have strong collaboration in disaster management. For instance, during the flood in Libya, Hungarian officials joined Turkish officials on the same ship from Izmir to provide assistance in Libya. This is a testament to our excellent cooperation at nearly every level.
In reflecting on our achievements and ongoing projects, it’s clear that our joint efforts continue to yield substantial results. It’s remarkable to see how much we accomplish together, often realising even during discussions how extensive our collaborative efforts are.
Could you summarise Türkiye’s role in the Eastern and Central European countries?
We often describe Turkish foreign policy as ‘enterprising and humanitarian.’ This phrase, articulated by our president, captures the spirit and humanitarian values of our nation and guides all aspects of our foreign policy discussions.
Türkiye now maintains 260 diplomatic missions worldwide, ranking as the third-largest diplomatic network globally, after the United States and China.
Our extensive global network of cooperation mirrors the mechanism we have established with Hungary, extending to 29 countries. Additionally, we have formed a productive regional platform with the Visegrad 4 group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) , creating what we call the V4 plus Türkiye platform. This initiative has facilitated effective cooperation since its inception in 2013.
The most recent meeting of foreign ministers from the V4 plus Türkiye took place in 2021 in Budapest. We hope to resume these discussions in the near future.
Overall, our cooperation with all Central European countries has been very rewarding, and we look forward to further enhancing these relationships.
What are the institutions supporting business development between the two countries? For instance, business clubs, trade agencies, governmental office?
Business and trade are central to our diplomatic efforts. Personally, I bring a unique perspective to this area; I’m not a career diplomat but have 20 years of experience in the business sector, having worked for a holding company in Istanbul before moving to public service. This background fuels my commitment to enhancing business relations between our two countries.
We have several platforms to facilitate these efforts. For instance, Turkcham is a key business umbrella organization in Hungary, with strong Turkish corporate memberships that actively promote bilateral trade relations. Additionally, we have the Türkiye-Hungary Business Council under the Foreign Economic Relations Board, another umbrella organization that hosts various country-specific business councils, including ours.
In Budapest, our efforts are supported by two commercial counselors from the Ministry of Trade, highlighting Hungary’s importance to Türkiye. We typically appoint one counselor per country, but the significance of our relations with Hungary warrants two.
Moreover, we have established several government-led initiatives. The Joint Economic Trade Committee (JETCO) was held this year in Türkiye, led by our Minister of Trade and Hungarian Prime Minister Szijjártó. Another key mechanism is the Joint Economic Commission (JEC), which met last in Budapest and is set to convene again in Türkiye this year. These meetings are crucial in driving our trade volumes higher.
Furthermore, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKÀ) supports joint economic, social, and cultural projects from its base in Budapest. We’ve also launched the Local Business Forum to engage not only large corporations but also small and local businesses. The inaugural forum took place in Debrecen with support from the local Mayor and Chamber of Commerce, followed by another successful event in Szeged.
These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to fostering a robust business environment that benefits both large enterprises and local companies across our two nations.
What do you anticipate for the future?
Our goal for this year is quite clear: we aim to host 100 events to mark the 100th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, fostering people-to-people contacts. Although our state-level relations are already excellent, we want to extend our reach to the Hungarian public. This effort will help us connect more deeply with the people on the streets as well.
Looking ahead to next year, during the Year of Science and Innovation, we plan to establish a new platform. This will specifically address companies engaged in innovation and research and development, further enhancing our cooperative efforts.
Moreover, 2026 will mark the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohàcs, a significant historical event for both our nations. Despite historical rivalries, Türkiye and Hungary have managed to forge a strong partnership and friendship. We will commemorate this milestone together with our Hungarian friends, emphasizing the depth and resilience of our bilateral relations.
Could you tell us about the recent Antalya diplomacy forum, what it is and what it does for the global relationship?
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), an initiative of the Turkish Foreign Ministry since 2019, it has been a significant part of my duties, and I am proud to have been involved from the beginning (as a co-coordinator of Antalya Diplomacy forum). This year marked the third edition of the forum in Antalya. The first forum in 2020 was postponed due to the pandemic, and last year’s edition was canceled due to the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye.
This year’s forum was a success story, hosting approximately 4,800 participants from 148 countries. It’s essential for us to host diverse voices from around the world, which is what makes the forum unique. Unlike many forums focused on economics, politics, or security, the Antalya Diplomacy Forum emphasizes diplomacy, a niche yet crucial area. It operates on the principle that understanding and personal relationships can facilitate discussions on conflict and other global challenges such as wars, climate change, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and pandemics. The forum aims to foster international cooperation and dialogue to address these issues.
This year’s theme, ‘Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil,’ highlighted the need for continuous dialogue and the creation of new diplomatic channels. I was particularly proud to host the Hungarian delegation, including Prime Minister Orbàn, Foreign Minister Szijjártó, and Minister of National Economy Marton Nagy. Prime Minister Orbàn participated in one-on-one talks, sharing the Hungarian perspective, while Minister Szijjártó discussed energy on a panel, and Minister Nagy engaged in a roundtable on economics chaired by our Vice President.
The growth of the forum is evident from the increasing number of participants each year, from 2,000 in the first edition to 4,800 this year, reflecting growing international interest. We are eagerly anticipating the fourth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum next year.
