Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said ties between Turkey and Hungary will deepen in the “new period” during a phone call on Tuesday with Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Péter Magyar, according to the Turkish Presidency.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of US President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, lost the elections on Sunday after 16 years in power. He also enjoyed close relationship with Erdoğan during his term in office.
Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın @RTErdogan, Macaristan Seçilmiş Başbakanı Peter Magyar ile bir telefon görüşmesi gerçekleştirdi.
Liderler görüşmede Türkiye-Macaristan ikili ilişkilerinin geleceğini, bölgesel ve küresel konuları ele aldı.
Sayın Cumhurbaşkanımız, Türkiye ile Macaristan…
— T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı (@tcbestepe) April 14, 2026
According to a statement from the presidency on Tuesday, Erdoğan told Magyar that relations between the two countries draw strength from a shared history and cultural ties and expressed confidence that cooperation would be taken further in the coming period, both bilaterally and on international platforms.
Erdoğan also congratulated Magyar on his election victory.
Magyar confirmed the call in a social media post, saying the two sides agreed to continue cooperation in energy, security policy, trade and culture.
Yesterday, I spoke by phone with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey. President Erdoğan congratulated me on the election victory and sent his best wishes to Hungary and the Hungarian people.
We agreed to continue cooperation between our countries in the areas of energy,…
— Magyar Péter (Ne féljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) April 15, 2026
Magyar’s victory marks a significant political shift in Hungary after years of rule by Orbán, who maintained close ties with Erdoğan. The two leaders developed a strong relationship, often aligning on issues such as migration, sovereignty and criticism of Western institutions while expanding cooperation in trade and defense.
Magyar also added that Erdoğan invited him to Ankara, while he invited the Turkish president to Budapest to mark the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 Revolution.
Under Orbán, Hungary became one of Turkey’s closest partners in the European Union, at times softening EU criticism of Ankara over democratic backsliding and human rights concerns. The two countries formalized a strategic partnership in 2013, with bilateral trade and political coordination growing steadily in the years since.