Hungary Plays Bridge Role Between Turkic World and Europe

Cultural cohesion and identity are among the most important factors in the relationship between the Turkic states and Hungary, Istvan Vasary told Magyar Nemzet in an interview. Mr. Vasary, a turkologist and former consul general in Istanbul who later served as Hungary's ambassador to Ankara and Tehran, took over the representative office of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Hungary this spring. We spoke with the diplomat about Hungary's role in the organization, the relationship between the Turkic states and the EU, and the tasks and challenges facing OTS.

Istvan Vasary, Hungarian orientalist, historian, turkologist, university professor, diplomat, and member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Photo: Zoltan Havran)

– You took over the Budapest office of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in April, but as a turkologist and former ambassador to Ankara, you are no stranger to the Turkic world and diplomacy. What has your experience been like throughout your career? How do Turks and the peoples of Central Asia view Hungarians?

– Positively. Anyone who has ever been to Turkey knows that when you mention the word "Magyar," even the most ordinary person will light up, pat you on the back, and tell you that we are brothers. Although to a lesser extent, we are also treated with sympathy in Central Asia. It's a good feeling because there aren't many parts of the world where I can say that I'm Hungarian and be embraced by people. But let me share a bit about my background and how I got involved in diplomacy, as these are usually separate careers. I studied Turkish language, literature, and history, with a particular interest in Inner and Central Asia. I even wrote a book on Inner Asian history, which indirectly led me into diplomacy. I was 45 years old at the time of the regime change, when the unfolding changes in the early 1990s reached the foreign ministry. That's when I was asked to travel to Turkey. I was surprised and unprepared, but after a short period of reflection, I accepted the position of consul general in Istanbul. Towards the end of my first year, I received a phone call asking whether—after the current ambassador's mission in Ankara ended—I would take over the position. It was a great honor, and I said yes. From 1999 to 2003, I served as Hungary's ambassador to Tehran. I returned home in 2003 and have since pursued my academic career as a professor in the Department of Turkish Philology at Eotvos Lorand University. After I retired, I became professor emeritus.

– What plans did you have when you took over the office?

– The assignment came just as unexpectedly as the call from the foreign ministry and the two ambassadorships. As a retiree, I was focused on my academic work, not thinking much about diplomacy. In the meantime, unfortunately, a tragedy occurred: my colleague Janos Hovari, who was ten years younger than me and who was also a turkologist, had worked in the foreign ministry as deputy state secretary and ambassador to various countries. He died tragically last August. He had been head of OTS since 2019, but the position remained vacant for a long time after his death. It was difficult to find someone well-versed in the Turkic world and diplomacy, as the tasks of the OTS chief require diplomatic experience; without these, the job cannot be suitably done. Eventually, I was asked to head the office.

– Hungary has been a member of the organization as an observer for six years, and relations with its member countries have grown closer every year. How has the OTS contributed to strengthening these relations?

– As part of the OTS, Hungary has been involved in economic, cultural, and diplomatic initiatives, as well as scientific and technological cooperation projects, exhibitions, and other events. The Turkic Investment Fund has been established among the member countries, with Baghdad Amreev, the former secretary general of the organization, currently serving as its director. The Fund aims to support joint development projects, mainly in economic fields, and Hungary has contributed a significant amount to it. Our country is also a partner in educational programs, with a large number of students from Turkic countries studying at various Hungarian universities. Finally, there is a diplomatic and political side to the organization: every year, there is an informal and a formal summit, in which Hungary participates. The most recent informal summit of the OTS was held on July 5-6, 2024, in Susa, Karabakh, with the participation of Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. Since I began work in April, I see that cooperation is moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot to do, including the Drought Prevention Institute launched a year and a half ago, which has not made much progress so far. This is a well-known problem in Central Asia, but in Hungary, there is a very strong professional background linked to institutions such as the University of Agricultural and Life Sciences in Godollo (MATE). We regard this as the most important project now. If everything goes according to plan, we only have some final, finishing touches to complete, and the institute can be fully operational in October, with funding earmarked specifically for this purpose by the Hungarian state.

– Will the Drought Prevention Institute operate from Hungary?

– Yes. In terms of organizational structure, it falls under the supervision of the OTS's Budapest office. The institute will be governed by a five-member board of directors and chaired by the head of the Budapest Representative Office.

– All this appears to indicate that Hungary has an increasingly influential role in the work of OTS.

– Yes, the Hungarian leadership also intends to strengthen relations with the Turkic countries. And for them, what is key is that they've established a foothold in Europe with a representative office, and Hungary, not incidentally, is also an EU member state.

– In early July, at the informal summit in Susa, Prime Minister Viktor Orban described the organization as a vital pillar of cooperation between East and West. Do you think Hungary's EU presidency can bring the OTS and the Turkic world closer to the European Union?

– Had you asked me a few months ago, I would have said yes immediately. It is well known that at the beginning of Hungary's EU presidency, Prime Minister Orban traveled halfway around the world, negotiating in Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, and Washington to pursue what he called a peace mission. His tour made big waves, negative in some parts of the EU, and it is clear that there is an attempt to marginalize the various Hungarian events of the rotating presidency as much as possible. At the end of September, there was supposed to be a meeting of foreign ministers in Budapest, but the venue was moved to Brussels. Under these circumstances, we are in a difficult situation, but we are trying to smooth the path for our Turkish friends. A few months ago, OTS Secretary General Kubanichbek Omuraliev visited Budapest and signed an action plan with Foreign Minister Szijjarto on how Hungary could promote the Turkic states' relations with the EU. 

– How is the OTS perceived by the EU, knowing that the member states of the two communities have recently concluded a number of bilateral agreements?

– I have no personal experience, but as a telling sign, the Hungarian presidency got off to a difficult start. Prime Minister Orban arrived from Moscow for the meeting in Susa, and his next stop abroad was Beijing. So far, there have been no EU-level comments regarding the OTS, but now that it has come to the fore, even Josep Borrell—the EU's outgoing High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy—was swift to condemn Prime Minister Orban's participation in the summit. This is unjustified and incomprehensible, as every EU member state has the right to build its own relations. We benefit economically from the Turkic countries to a huge extent—just think of the hydrocarbons from Azerbaijan.

– According to figures published in July, the combined GDP of the ASEAN countries is close to USD 1,4 trillion, which is a rather large number. Could the OTS become a major economic player in time?

–  Indeed, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the three Central Asian countries are a very significant force and have a substantial GDP. What I would point out is that these countries are rich in resources such as oil and gas, which are essential for modern development, not to mention their economic potential. Of course, the OTS is not on par with China, Russia, and India, but if cooperation is present and develops, it can play an advocacy role. Transport is also crucial, with the Middle Corridor passing through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, being the region's main economic route to Europe. The land route would also require huge investment, which will be a task for the next decade.

– The organization will reach a milestone in the fall: on October 3, it will be fifteen years since the Nakhchivan Agreement laid the foundations of its predecessor, the Turkic Council. How do you see the future of the OTS?

– Cooperation has intensified year by year, and although there have been many challenges in the last fifteen years, we can clearly see the areas where we can work together well. One is regional stability and security, which we can implement through joint security initiatives, the fight against terrorism, and the prevention of regional conflicts. The other is economic integration and development—I think this is what many people see as the most crucial—because the Turkic world is a huge, important, resource-rich market. Cultural cohesion and identity—two things that help cooperation and are thus not to be neglected—provide us links to OTS countries in many areas.

The author is a Senior Analyst at the Migration Research Institute.

Cover photo: Istvan Vasary, a Hungarian orientalist, historian, turkologist, university professor, diplomat, and member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Photo: Zoltan Havran)