Turkey is an important partner for Hungary, primarily due to its geostrategic location, while for Ankara Hungary is primarily an important partner due to its EU membership. Turkey lies at the intersection of geopolitical fault lines, continents, and civilisations. From the point of view of Europe, for example, its role as an “insulator state” is particularly important in terms of stopping illegal migration from different regions (from the Middle East, Africa, Asia), while for energy transit, Turkey forms a key connecting link. In recent years, Turkey has become one of the key countries for Hungary’s interest-oriented and global-economy-focused foreign policy. Military-industrial cooperation has also increased. The two states and their citizens are likewise connected by many cultural and historical threads.
Turkey regularly features in the European discourse on irregular migration, primarily as a transit country. However, in addition to the fight against illegal immigration, it also appears as a prominent strategic partner of Hungary in many other areas.
