Hungarian premier praises Turkish president for pro-peace stance

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his peaceful approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict over the 15 months of the war so far.

"I congratulated President Erdoğan on his election victory during his inauguration in Ankara. His pro-peace stance is like a breath of fresh air for Hungary!" Organ said on Twitter one day after visiting Türkiye to see Erdoğan's swearing-in ceremony.

Orban shared a video of his visit to Türkiye for the ceremony, along with scenes from the event, and remarked: "We needed Erdoğan's (May 28) victory like a breath of fresh air, and he also stands for peace."

He added: "Additionally, he is pro-peace. Had he not won, we would have a pro-war Turkish president and consequences of that would have been hard to predict. The Turkish President has a chance to mediate between Ukrainians and Russians as he did regarding the issue of grain, the grain crisis."

Türkiye, internationally praised for its mediator role, has repeatedly urged Kyiv and Moscow to end the war through negotiations, and spearheaded the Black Sea grain deal to enable exports of globally vital food even during the ongoing war.