Foreign Minister Fidan
Foreign Minister Fidan: We Support the Ongoing Ceasefire Negotiations Led by the U.S.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, regarding the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, stated, "As Turkey, we will support both the ceasefire and comprehensive peace negotiations. We support the ongoing ceasefire negotiations led by the U.S."
Minister Fidan spoke at a joint press conference following his meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Stating, "We have supported the peace and ceasefire negotiations led by the U.S. from the beginning," regarding the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Fidan reminded that Turkey has been in the peace camp since day one.
Fidan pointed out that there have been many deaths and destruction in the Russia-Ukraine war and emphasized that their position in international platforms, particularly within NATO, along with Hungary, is to put an end to this situation.
"At the point we have reached today, it is, of course, a pleasing development for our region and for humanity to see the new American administration advancing this agenda. Hopefully, they will achieve a permanent ceasefire as soon as possible," said Fidan, noting that there are currently a few agreements in place that could lead to a ceasefire.
Fidan further stated:
"I hope that Russia will soon make an announcement confirming its acceptance of a temporary ceasefire, even if only for 30 days. We must move on to further negotiations as soon as possible.
On the other hand, how will peace be established, what will the security guarantees be? The discussions, studies, and efforts regarding the oversight force for peace and the structure to be created with security guarantees are ongoing.
There are also regular meetings in which our President participates. Many of these meetings are held online. Today, there will be another online meeting with European leaders, in which our President will also take part. This search for a solution continues.
As Turkey, we will continue to provide all kinds of support for both a ceasefire and comprehensive peace negotiations. In this regard, our President’s views and policies are very clear."
Fidan stated that Hungary was among the first countries he visited after assuming the role of Foreign Minister and noted that he has always exchanged views with his counterpart on challenging international issues.
Pointing out that relations between Turkey and Hungary have a multidimensional nature, Fidan said that they strive to deepen bilateral relations in all areas.
Fidan emphasized that the close friendship and trust between the leaders of the two countries serve as a guide for them, stating, "We are determined to take steps to further strengthen our enhanced strategic partnership in the upcoming period.
We will hold the 7th meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in our country. As you know, 2024 was declared the Turkey-Hungary Culture Year. We have designated 2025 as the Turkey-Hungary Science and Innovation Year.
Our goal for this special year is to pave the way for new collaborations in various fields, from trade to energy, defense industry to scientific research."
Indicating that last year was extremely productive in terms of trade relations, Fidan stated that the trade volume between the two countries reached 4.5 billion dollars and that they have taken another step closer to the 6 billion-dollar target set by their leaders.
Fidan mentioned that more than 500 Turkish companies operate in various sectors in Hungary and expressed great satisfaction with the employment and added value generated by these firms.
"Our cooperation in the defense industry is also developing and deepening. Our companies have now begun joint production. We believe that we will soon see our jointly produced defense products in third countries.
Our cooperation in the energy sector also has a special and strategic significance," said Fidan, emphasizing that they are pleased with the expansion of activities in this area across a broad spectrum.
Fidan highlighted that cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), of which Hungary is an observer member, continues at a very high level and noted that the informal summit of the OTS will be held in Budapest this year, to which they attach great importance.
"Hungary assumed the presidency of the EU Council in the second half of last year. Throughout this period, they made serious efforts to revitalize Turkey-European Union (EU) relations.
We are grateful to them for these efforts," Fidan said, expressing his appreciation to his counterpart for their contributions.
Minister Fidan continued his remarks:
“In the meetings we attend, we have always emphasized that Turkey, with its capabilities and resources, can make significant contributions to Europe’s security, stability, and prosperity. At this point, we expect the EU to recalibrate its strategic compass. We believe that Turkey-EU relations should not be confined to the narrow interests of certain members. When it comes to Europe’s security, the importance of Turkey-EU relations becomes evident. We firmly believe that all steps related to European security must be planned in coordination with Turkey for our shared interests.”
Fidan highlighted that both Turkey and Hungary are directly affected by the war in Ukraine. He emphasized that both countries support dialogue and diplomacy for conflict resolution, welcome steps toward a ceasefire, and believe that this process should be supported.
“Our hope is to establish a full and comprehensive ceasefire and initiate a process leading to lasting peace. We will continue our efforts and maintain our contacts with the relevant parties in this regard,” Fidan stated.
"We Must Be Vigilant Against Provocations Undermining Peace and Stability in Syria"
Minister Fidan stressed the importance of remaining cautious against provocations aimed at disrupting peace and stability in Syria. He mentioned that following the National Dialogue Conference in Syria, a constitutional declaration was issued, emphasizing Syria’s territorial integrity and unity while rejecting separatist movements.
Fidan noted that this declaration also guarantees equal citizenship rights for all and stated:
“We expect the political transition process to continue with steps toward forming a government and a people’s assembly. The new administration in Damascus must reach a capacity to ensure peace and stability in the country. For this, international support and engagement are crucial. In this context, I hope that all sanctions will be completely lifted.”
"Israel Has Resumed Genocide"
Emphasizing the need to make the ceasefire in Gaza permanent and to implement subsequent phases, Fidan said:
“Israel violated the ceasefire agreement by obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza. In recent days, it has resumed genocide by martyring hundreds of Palestinians. Peace, stability, international law, or humanitarian values are not on Netanyahu’s agenda. Israel’s goal is to intimidate the Palestinian people and depopulate Palestine.
The Palestinian issue carries the risk of leading to larger regional and global problems. As Turkey, we will continue to stand by the Palestinian people. On Sunday, I will attend the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League Gaza Contact Group in Cairo. Our priority right now is to return to a ceasefire and meet the urgent humanitarian needs of the people in Gaza. At the same time, we will continue to hold Israel accountable for its crimes.”
Fidan’s Engagements in Syria
Recalling his visit to Syria last week, where he held meetings with high-level officials, Fidan said that he had a “very comprehensive meeting” with Syrian President Ahmed Shara and his team.
Highlighting that they discussed critical issues for both countries and the region, Fidan stated:
“At the forefront was, of course, reviewing the agreement reached between Syria’s new administration and the YPG.”
He noted that Turkey shared its concerns, identified risks, and discussed how they were being addressed. “Our aim is for the agreement to be implemented to the letter, in both spirit and practice. We also pointed out potential areas of concern,” he added.
Fidan mentioned that they also discussed how to manage the agreement to prevent the resurgence of the terrorist organization Daesh in the region. He referred to the five-party meeting in Jordan and stated that Syria’s views on implementing the outcomes of this meeting in practice were considered. He also noted that Ankara shared its military, intelligence, and operational perspectives.
Emphasizing that these views would be presented to the five-country delegation, Fidan conveyed the message that concrete progress would be made based on the agreement reached.
Referring to recent incidents in Latakia, Fidan stated that they reviewed these events and listened to Syrian officials regarding the nature of the provocation and possible measures to be taken.
Expressing satisfaction that the Syrian government is following this issue with great seriousness, Fidan emphasized that there is a strong commitment to preventing civilian massacres and holding those responsible accountable, with concrete steps already being taken.
He also highlighted that discussions in Syria covered ongoing work on a new constitution, as well as temporary constitutional arrangements until a new constitution is established. Views on a potential inclusive government were also discussed.
Minister Fidan stated that Turkey's recommendation to Syria was to ensure a governance structure that promotes social peace, facilitates administration, and conveys a message of equality to all citizens.
Emphasizing the importance of Syria's political stability, economic development, and the restoration of institutions, Fidan referred to the necessity of rebuilding these institutions.
Fidan stated that Turkey's potential contributions in this regard were also discussed, emphasizing that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is particularly sensitive about this issue.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fidan, noted that steps to ensure the provision of basic services to the Syrian people and to eliminate challenges such as energy and food shortages were discussed.
Fidan also added that the damages caused by Israeli expansionism in the region and the measures that could be taken against it were also on the agenda.
Szijjarto: It is unrealistic to talk about Europe's security architecture without including Turkey and Russia
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Szijjarto, congratulated Fidan for his efforts in ending the Russia-Ukraine war and achieving peace, stating, “Before (former U.S. President) Donald Trump, only Turkey was able to succeed between the two sides.”
Szijjarto pointed out that there is now hope for peace in Ukraine, saying, “We wish and support the success of the Russia-U.S. negotiations by all possible means. We expect Brussels not to obstruct peace talks with its pro-war policies.”
Emphasizing that a sustainable European security architecture can only be discussed with the inclusion of Russia and Turkey, Szijjarto noted that there are some ideological fanatics in Europe who express opposing views, but these views stand on weak foundations.
The Hungarian Minister stated, “It is unrealistic to talk about Europe's security architecture without including Turkey and Russia.”
Comparing his two-hour meeting with Minister Fidan to the overtime of the Turkey-Hungary UEFA Nations League play-off match played the previous day, Szijjarto said that this duration demonstrated the strategic partnership, alliance, and friendship between the two countries.
Highlighting that Hungary’s security interests completely align with Turkey’s, Szijjarto stated, “This applies both in terms of physical and energy security. Over the past three years, Hungary and Turkey have been the loudest supporters of the peace camp. For the past three years, we have consistently and openly advocated for the necessity of peace. We have insisted on ceasefire negotiations until the end.”
Szijjarto remarked, “Today, Europeans speaking about a ceasefire have exhibited an astonishing stance in international organizations and politics for three years. Those who now speak of a ceasefire had essentially banned the word ‘ceasefire’ for three years. I want to remind everyone of this.”
Underlining that the solution to the Russia-Ukraine war does not lie on the battlefield, Szijjarto said, “We find Brussels’ decisions to send new weapons and billions of euros in support extremely dangerous and unacceptable.”
He stated that these measures prolong the war and, as the war drags on, more people die. For this reason, he expressed hope that the upcoming ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Russia next week would be successful.
"Hungary’s energy security is impossible without Turkey"
Touching on energy cooperation, Szijjarto stated, “Hungary’s energy security is impossible without Turkey. We are grateful to Turkey for being a reliable partner in Hungary’s energy security. A total of 7.6 billion cubic meters of gas has been delivered to Hungary via TurkStream. This year, we have exceeded 20 million cubic meters daily.”
Szijjarto also recalled that before leaving office, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, saying, “These actions were taken deliberately. They aimed to put regional countries in a difficult situation regarding natural gas. This was a hostile approach by the Biden administration.”
Stating that the Trump administration acted in a rational and sensible manner, Szijjarto said, “According to the information we received from Washington yesterday, our request for Gazprombank’s exemption from sanctions has been extended. Thus, Hungary’s natural gas supply is secure. Our natural gas supply has not fallen victim to the Biden administration’s hostile ideology.”
"We are in talks with BOTAŞ to buy natural gas directly from Turkey this year as well"
The Hungarian minister recalled that last year they purchased natural gas directly from Turkey, adding, “This year, we have started negotiations with BOTAŞ (Boru Hatları ile Petrol Taşıma AŞ) to buy natural gas directly from Turkey again.”
Szijjarto stated that the strategic partnership between Hungary’s international oil and gas company MOL Group and the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) continues, adding, “(MOL and TPAO) will work together for the drilling of wells in Hungary, and a joint company will be established. More than 15 million worth of investment will be made in Hungary.”
He emphasized that last year, Turkey and Hungary reached a record in bilateral trade volume and projected a 10% increase this year.
"We want to talk about peace"
During the Q&A session, Szijjarto responded to a question about why Hungary did not participate in meetings held by European countries regarding potential security guarantees for Ukraine. He said, “Because we are in favor of peace. Our European colleagues who support war do not want us to be part of their war-related discussions. We want to talk about peace.”
In response to a question about Hungary’s policy regarding security guarantees and troop deployment in Ukraine, Szijjarto stated that the order of priority should be a ceasefire, followed by peace talks, and then a peace agreement.
Expressing hope that an agreement would be reached between the U.S. and Russia, Szijjarto said, “If there is a U.S.-Russia agreement and these two countries maintain normal and civilized relations, history tells us that this will be beneficial not only for us but also for global peace. I hope the pro-war supporters in Brussels will not be able to prevent this.”