“Europe must avoid all possible confrontation that could lead to the breaking of the migration agreement with Turkey, but the death penalty is not regarded as acceptable with relation to European integration”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday in Budapest following his press conference at the opening of Tata Consultancy Services’ new offices.

In reply to a question on the reintroduction of the death penalty in Turkey, Mr. Szijjártó added: “Those who would strive to realise tighter cooperation with forms of European integration must be aware of the fact that the death penalty is not regarded as acceptable with relation to integration”.

With reference to the results of the Turkish elections, the Foreign Minister said Hungary’s “only job” was to respect the results of the elections.

“We must not forget that Europe placed the key to its own security in the hands of the Turkish President and Government when it signed the migration agreement, according to which in exchange for 3 billion euros the EU is expecting the Turkish Government not to allow immigrants and refugees arriving in Turkey to travel on towards Europe”, Mr. Szijjártó explained.

“The most important thing for Europe is that there should be peace and stability in Turkey, because it is only while these requirements exist that the agreement with Ankara can be upheld”, he said, adding that “Nobody would like hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to possibly set off for Europe”.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)