Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır expressed Sunday optimism regarding the volume of bilateral goods exchange between Türkiye and Hungary which is approaching the figure of $4 billion, highlighting confidence in progressing steadily toward the target volume of $6 billion.
“There is a target of $6 billion endorsed by our leaders and we are moving step by step toward this target. We anticipate that the defense industry will provide significant momentum toward this target,” he said.
Following his two-day visit to Hungary, Kacır provided insights into his discussions in Budapest to Anadolu Agency (AA).
He recalled President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Budapest in August and revealed that on Dec. 18, during the expected “High-Level Strategic Council Meeting” led by President Erdoğan in Budapest, they would focus on accelerating the initiatives that began during the August visit, particularly in the field of defense industry cooperation.
Highlighting the longstanding friendship between the two countries the minister conveyed the goal of transforming and sustaining this friendship into strategic cooperation in various fields.
Furthermore, he touched upon a significant step in defense industry collaboration through a supply and joint production project led by the Turkish company Nurol Makina with its stakeholders in Hungary, adding that they think the cooperation can go much further than this.
“During this visit, we held a meeting (lasting) nearly five hours at the Hungarian Ministry of Defense with 10 different defense industry firms and organizations we had invited. These entities presented their ongoing projects and how they could contribute to the Hungarian defense industry,” he explained.
He added that Hungary is currently carrying out a significant program in the defense industry, especially in the modernization of its army. “In this program, we aim for Turkish defense industry institutions to play a more effective role,” he said.
The minister further detailed a meeting at the “ZalaZONE Automotive Test Center,” one of Europe’s most important automotive test infrastructures established by Hungary.
They explored potential collaborations between the Turkish automotive and defense industries within this center, he said.
Regarding trade relations, the minister mentioned discussions with Peter Szijjarto, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, focusing on investments and strategic areas for collaboration between Türkiye and Hungary.
Reiterating the goal of $6 billion in bilateral trade, Kacır predicted that the defense industry would play a crucial role in achieving this target, as the domestic defense industry is expected to catch its target level of $6 billion in exports, he said, and rapidly move toward the figure of $10 billion.
“In this context, our cooperation with Hungary, one of our important friends, especially in the field of defense, will enable us to achieve the annual trade volume of $6 billion set by our leaders,” he said.
Minister Kacır also highlighted cultural and historical aspects of the relationship, including visits to restored sites through cooperation between the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the Hungarian government.
He also mentioned that 2024 would be the “Turkish-Hungarian Year of Culture,” with 100 different events planned.
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