HUNGARIAN CULTURE PROMOTED IN ANKARA

As part of the Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year events, the Hungarian Embassy in Ankara organized the ‘Merhaba Hungary Festival.’ The festival, held at CerModern, featured Hungarian folk dances and music, with performances by the bands Új Gereben, Muzsikás, and Bálint Bársony & MRP.

Haşim KILIÇ

HOSTED by Hungary’s Ambassador to Ankara, Viktor Matis, the ‘Merhaba Hungary Festival’ introduced Hungarian culture. The Tolna Folk Dance troupe, hailing from the Sarköz region in southern Hungary, performed music and dance throughout the day. The festival also offered workshops for children, including beadwork, dance, and calligraphy art. Additionally, an exhibition by Hungarian photographer Milan Radisics, featuring drone-captured aerial photographs of Türkiye, was opened as part of the festival. In the evening, concerts by Új Gereben, Muzsikás, and Bálint Bársony & MRP took place.

Ambassador Viktor Matis noted that they aim to hold 100 events in Türkiye within the scope of the 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year and added, “We will most likely organize many more events. There are still three months left in the year, but we have already held more than 90 events.”

FROM STRATEGIC LEVEL TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL

Matis also emphasized that Turkish-Hungarian relations, which were at a strategic level in 2013, have reached the highest level in 2023, stating, “This means that our relations are very broad and deep. We are trying to do more things in a more systematic way. Of course, this year, culture is very important to us. Hungary also holds the EU Presidency this term. There is significant intensity in our bilateral relations.”

Touching upon the fact that 2025 will be the ‘Turkey-Hungary Year of Science and Innovation,’ Ambassador Matis said, “This is also a very special occasion. These days, we are trying to place greater importance on science and innovation.”

EASY ACCESS TO THE EUROPEAN MARKET

Ambassador Matis highlighted that bilateral economic relations have doubled over the past eight years and continued, “We are receiving large investments from Türkiye to Hungary. Hungary is a member of the European Union. As Turkish investors, it is very easy to access the European market from an EU member country. We have the best business environment in all of Europe. We don’t need to advertise this much because businesspeople already know this.”