It is Hungary’s national security interest that there should not be another coup in Turkey as the country’s destabilisation could lead to a flow of immigration that is more serious than that which we experienced last year, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated on Saturday in Pozsony (Bratislava) upon talking to the Hungarian public service media on the second, closing day of the informal meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Ministers.

The head of Hungarian diplomacy said this after the talks of the Foreign Ministers of EU Member States with the delegation of Turkey.

He said: some of the Foreign Ministers attending the meeting raised concerns on account of the retaliatory measures taken in the wake of the coup. In this context, the Hungarian Government takes the view that a coup is a serious matter, and it is hardly surprising if the Turkish leadership is responding to it in kind, he said.

“We fully support the democratically elected Turkish President and Government”, Mr Szijjártó stressed, adding: the Hungarian Government supports the measures which serve to avoid another possible coup as the destabilisation of Turkey would jeopardise European security and could induce another wave of immigration.

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In answer to a question, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said: there continue to remain two distinct positions. “The sober voice” of the countries which stand up for stopping immigration is becoming increasingly louder, but the other view which forces the distribution of immigrants has a very strong presence as well. He added: the countries of Central-Europe and some other countries which share the same view want to stop immigration as the only correct answer, and want Brussels to stop its policy which encourages illegal immigration.

“This, too, indicates the outstanding significance of the Hungarian referendum as this may be the first opportunity when the people themselves have their voices heard with respect to the issue of immigration, rather than bureaucrats from Brussels”, Mr Szijjártó stressed.

In addition to Turkey, the delegations of other countries from the Western Balkans region aspiring to join the EU – Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and Albania – also attended the two-day meeting of EU Foreign Ministers as invited partners. The central topics of this meeting were the fight against terrorism, and the prevention of the wider spread of radicalisation and extremism.

Mr Szijjártó said regarding the talks with the delegations of the Western Balkans countries: we may have observed very serious events giving rise to much concern in recent periods in the region, and tensions are growing between some countries which radical religious organisations may exploit and turn to their advantage, and this may lead to a rise in the threat of terrorism.

“As this region is in our neighbourhood, Hungary’s national security interest dictates that the vulnerable Western Balkans region should be given the opportunity to make progress in the processes of integration within the shortest possible time”, the Hungarian Foreign Minister highlighted. He added: Hungary therefore urges the conclusion of the EU accession talks with Serbia by 2020, and the commencement of negotiations with Macedonia as soon as possible.

“The acceleration of integration is the only way in the Western Balkans to reduce the vulnerability of the region (…) and to fight the threat of terrorism”, he stressed, remarking: the destabilisation of the region could induce another flow of immigration in the direction of the Hungarian border.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)