There is no doubt that Europe, and Hungary in it, is only interested in the stability of Turkey, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó told the Hungarian News Agency MTI on Tuesday in Ankara.
He pointed out: if Turkey is not stable, the pressure of migration weighing upon Europe may increase dramatically, and illegal immigration may once again flood the Western Balkans route in masses. This would put Hungary’s southern border under immense pressure as well, and the scenes observed last autumn would recur, he stressed.
The Minister highlighted: all attempts aimed at the destabilisation of Turkey must be rejected. Accordingly, Hungary condemned the attempted military coup of 15 July. He stressed: those who attack Turkey’s stability attack Europe’s security.
The Minister takes the view that the critical foreign remarks concerning the investigation which serves to find the individuals who were responsible for the attempted coup are nothing short of harmful. A military coup is a serious matter, and therefore calls for a serious response. Whatever response the democratically elected president and government may opt for in the wake of the incident must be respected, he stressed.
The Foreign Minister said: a friend is also a friend in need that one must stand by. We must maintain good relations with Turkey not only on account of the refugee agreement, but also in the context of the fight against the jihadist organisation Islamic State (IS) and various NATO commitments, he added.
Mr Szijjártó believes that Turkey plays a key role in the security of Europe for three reasons. These three reasons are the issue of immigration, the settlement of the situation in Syria, and the fight against terrorist organisations, he said.
The Minister also pointed out: based on the Turkish request, the Hungarian authorities will thoroughly investigate whether certain organisations operating in Hungary indeed pose a threat to the stability of Turkey and whether they indeed cooperate with movements which are engaged in terrorist activities. If so, Hungary will take the measures which may be necessary for guaranteeing its own security as well as that of Turkey and Europe, he said.
Mr Szijjártó is paying a visit to Ankara as an expression of solidarity towards the Turkish Government that was threatened to be overthrown by the military coup attempt of 15 July. The Minister will meet with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Speaker of the House Ismail Kahraman, will conduct private talks with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu, and will also visit the Parliament Building which was shelled on the night of the attempted coup.