Prime Minister Orban flies to Ankara for Erdogan’s swearing-in ceremony

Prime Minister Orban flies to Ankara for Erdogan’s swearing-in ceremony
Caption from Viktor Orban's Facebook page on the swearing-in ceremony of the Turkish President. / bne IntelliNews
By bne IntelliNews June 4, 2023

Prime Minister Viktor Orban attended the inauguration ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 3, the only representative of an EU member country to do so.

Neither Orban’s press office nor Hungarian media released any information on the informal talks between the two leaders.

Sweden’s Nato membership was likely discussed by two leaders. Budapest and Ankara are the two Nato members that have yet to ratify the country’s membership. The Orban government announced its support of Finland joining the military alliance an hour after Turkey made its positions clear.

After meeting with the incumbent Turkish leader, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the next round of talks between officials from Finland, Sweden and Turkey would be in the week of June 12, but did not specify when.

The Hungarian PM was swift to congratulate the Turkish President’s third straight victory as he sent his wishes even before the polls closed.

"The decision of Turkish voters and Turkey’s stability is good news for the whole of Europe," he posted on social media, adding that the EU "needs a strong and reliable Turkey".

In an interview with state media on June 2, Orban said it would have been a travesty if the incumbent had lost the Turkish elections because his opponent was pro-war and a "man of George Soros", the Hungarian-born Jewish billionaire-philanthropist, who has been used by Orban for years as a scapegoat. The opposition’s victory would have led to millions of refugees fleeing Turkey for Europe, he said.

Hungary’s gas supply through the TurkStream would have been jeopardised had a pro-US leader won.

Analysts have pointed out the similarities between the elections. Opposition parties from left to right joined forces but they faced a headwind from media and slander campaigns that accused them of being puppets of Western governments. This chimes perfectly with Orban’s tactics.

As in Hungary, the core base of the Turkish governing party lies in the countryside with older, religious voters. Ethnic and sexual minorities were targeted in Turkey, just as in Hungary, and cultural issues were brought to the forefront.

The election victory of Erdogan is a great relief for Hungary’s strongman, who has lost nearly all his allies in Europe and in the region. The V4 alliance is teetering on the brink of collapse. Hungary’s strongman is looking for allies in the Balkans, with leaders on cosy terms with Vladimir Putin such as Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodic and Serbian President Aleksander Vucic.

Hungarian strategists said the loss of the Turkish president would have essentially ended the era of illiberalism in Europe, leaving the Hungarian leader further isolated. Orban is now pinning his hopes of a right-wing shift in European politics on the EP elections next summer and on the same in the US a few months later.

 

Read in IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Content

Low base and agriculture lift Hungary out of technical recession in Q3

ING: Consumer not ready to change what they eat to help the environment

NEMETHY: The oligarch model in Hungary

News

Bulgaria’s president vetoes armoured vehicles for Ukraine

Radev has become openly pro-Russian since the start of the war in Ukraine and strongly opposes military aid for Ukraine.

New Slovak government plans to dismantle Special Prosecutor’s Office

Fico’s cabinet is reported to be pushing through the change in an effort to safeguard Smer politicians under investigation and stop the investigations from spreading further into Smer ranks.

Russia responds to Moldova’s pro-EU steps with warnings of “hybrid war”

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's rhetoric indicates a change in plans on Russia’s side.

Erdogan family pursue journalist for “slander” after trade-with-Israel allegations

Metin Cihan says his research amid Gaza crisis showed that despite the president’s condemnation of the Israelis, Turkey’s “trade with Israel continues smoothly”.

North Macedonia says OSCE 'saved' at Skopje summit

Crucial decisions made on chair for 2024, budget and key appointments at meeting controversially attended by Russia's foreign minister.

Bulgaria’s president vetoes armoured vehicles for Ukraine
1 hour ago
New Slovak government plans to dismantle Special Prosecutor’s Office
12 hours ago
Russia responds to Moldova’s pro-EU steps with warnings of “hybrid war”
13 hours ago
Erdogan family pursue journalist for “slander” after trade-with-Israel allegations
18 hours ago
North Macedonia says OSCE 'saved' at Skopje summit
21 hours ago

Follow Us On

Most Read

  1. Top Ukrainian politician David Arakhamia gives seventh confirmation of Russia-Ukraine peace deal agreed in March 2022
    8 days ago
  2. Armenia marks new era with French military purchases
    6 days ago
  3. Turkey equipping Moscow’s war machine, data shows
    7 days ago
  4. Oil continues to flow to Israel via Turkey despite Erdogan’s vehement speeches on plight of Gaza
    1 month ago
  5. Lavrov confirms Ukraine war peace deal reached last April, but then abandoned
    2 months ago
  1. Oil continues to flow to Israel via Turkey despite Erdogan’s vehement speeches on plight of Gaza
    1 month ago
  2. Top Ukrainian politician David Arakhamia gives seventh confirmation of Russia-Ukraine peace deal agreed in March 2022
    8 days ago
  3. Russia overtakes Germany to become fifth biggest economy in the world in GDP on a PPP basis
    3 months ago
  4. Armenia marks new era with French military purchases
    6 days ago
  5. Lavrov confirms Ukraine war peace deal reached last April, but then abandoned
    2 months ago

Reports

SELECT `n`.`nid` AS `id`, `n`.`title`, 'bne IntelliNews' AS authors, 'bne IntelliNews' AS bylines, `wc`.`field_website_callout_value` AS `summary`, `smc`.`field_social_media_callout_value` AS `social`, `pd`.`published_at` AS `date`, `p`.`field_publication__tid` AS `publication_id`, `fm`.`uri` AS `image`, `fspcaption`.`field_story_photo_caption_value` AS `image_credit`, `fspcredit`.`field_story_photo_credit_value` AS `image_author`, `ws`.`field_website_sections_tid` AS `section_id`, `fdfs`.`field_subject_tid` AS `subject_id`, `db`.`body_value` AS `body`, `fm2`.`uri` AS `pdf`, `et`.`field_enable_tracking_value` AS `tracking`, `ht`.`field_head_tags_value` AS `headTags`, `bt`.`field_body_tags_value` AS `bodyTags` FROM `node` AS `n` LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_website_callout` AS `wc` ON wc.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_social_media_callout` AS `smc` ON smc.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `publication_date` AS `pd` ON pd.nid = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_publication_` AS `p` ON p.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_story_picture` AS `sp` ON sp.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `file_managed` AS `fm` ON fm.fid = sp.field_story_picture_fid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_story_photo_caption` AS `fspcaption` ON fspcaption.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_story_photo_credit` AS `fspcredit` ON fspcredit.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `workflow_node` AS `wn` ON wn.nid = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_website_sections` AS `ws` ON ws.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_subject` AS `fdfs` ON fdfs.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_body` AS `db` ON db.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_file` AS `ff` ON ff.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `file_managed` AS `fm2` ON fm2.fid = ff.field_file_fid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_enable_tracking` AS `et` ON et.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_head_tags` AS `ht` ON ht.entity_id = n.nid LEFT JOIN `field_data_field_body_tags` AS `bt` ON bt.entity_id = n.nid WHERE (n.status = 1) AND (n.type = 'article') AND (n.nid = 280630) AND (wn.sid= 3) AND (p.field_publication__tid IN (2465,2851,3184,3159,3266,3264,3270,3265,3267,3268,3269,3171,3168,3185,3170,1346,1345,3180,3175,3254,3249,1207,1208,3181,3231,3177,3186,3178,1003,3187,2975,3204,3198,3188,3202,3196,3250,3189,3160,3161,3312,3313,3173,3314,3315,3167,3259,3257,3263,3258,3260,3261,3262,3174,3316,3165,3192,3163,3282,3190,2811,3256,3317,3162,3318,3191,3297,3182,3179,3166,3319,3376,3320,3172,3255,3169,1008,3203,3197,3321,3252,3164,1307,3322,3183,3220,3176,3201,3323,1327,1020,1006,1009,1013,1014,1018,1005,1328,1010,1011,1002,1012,1311,1330,1017,1016,1019,1004,1001,1334,1335,1336,1015,1337,1338,1339,1340,1341,2496,2501,2517,2529,2506,2505,2524,2513,2526,2537,2489,2490,2520,2536,2488,2532,2500,2515,2503,2493,2527,2523,2510,2525,2498,2499,2528,2507,2487,2511,2521,2502,2491,2519,2497,2492,2514,2495,2509,2512,1629,3358)) LIMIT 1
Dismiss