UPDATE - Turkish, Hungarian presidents meet to hold talks

ADDS MORE DETAILS

By Diyar Guldogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novak met on Sunday in Budapest for talks.

Erdogan and Novak discussed bilateral ties, as well as regional and global developments.

During the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan's chief adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic, and Turkish Ambassador to Hungary Gulsen Karanis Eksioglu were also present.

Novak was one of the first world leaders who congratulated Erdogan on his victory in the May 28 presidential election.

In late March, she visited Ankara as well as the regions struck by the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes in southern Türkiye.

Earlier, Erdogan met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss bilateral relations, Türkiye's EU accession process, as well as regional and international issues.

The Turkish leader also attended a reception to mark Hungary's National Day, and greeted citizens who were demonstrating their love for him.

Erdogan later watched the World Athletics Championships men's 100 meters final at the National Athletics Centre stadium, where he had conversations with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

On the sidelines, Erdogan also separately met his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who is president of the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia, and Zeljka Cvijanovic, a Serb member of the tripartite collective Bosnian presidency. They discussed bilateral ties, regional and global issues.

Relations between Türkiye and Hungary were elevated to the level of strategic partnership in 2013 after the establishment of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. The friendly ties have gained momentum in every field in recent years.

This December, the countries are set to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.