Erdogan, Orban pledge deeper ties in Budapest

BUDAPEST: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would seek deeper ties with his Hungary´s Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday, during his second visit to the country within four months.

Hungary and Turkiye are the only holdouts in Nato to not have ratified Sweden´s bid to join the defence alliance in the wake of Russia´s invasion of Ukraine.

Hungary has still not voted to approve Sweden´s entry into Nato, aligning itself with Turkiye which had long blocked Stockholm´s membership and has been stalling the process even after Erdogan lifted his veto in June.

Earlier this month, Erdogan made Turkiye´s ratification of Sweden´s Nato bid conditional on the US Congress “simultaneously” approving Ankara´s request for F-16 fighter jets. But the two leaders did not comment on the issue in an address to reporters after their meeting. Nato enlargement was discussed during Erdogan´s visit, according to Hungarian President Katalin Novak, who also met the Turkish leader.