Hungarian-Turkish Year of Innovation Kicks Off with Defense Cooperation

MTI-Hungary Today 2025.02.04.

We will strengthen our strategic partnership with Türkiye in the field of defense innovation, said Hungary’s Minister of Defense in Ankara, following the inaugural meeting of the Hungarian-Turkish Defense Innovation Working Group.

Hungary’s Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Türkiye’s Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir officially launched the defense cooperation field of the Hungarian-Turkish Year of Science and Innovation in Ankara.

The minister underlined that sharing new innovative technologies and solutions offers new opportunities for cooperation between the defense sectors.

A decision was also made on the establishment of a multi-year cooperation plan between the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK) and the Defense Innovation Research Institute (VIKI),

with the aim to develop education, training, and development opportunities between the two countries.

A structured and regular dialogue between the countries’ defense industry and innovation actors will be launched within the framework of the jointly defined “Roadmap,” he added.

The minister said that the Hungarian VIKI will play a central role in the cooperation, as it is ready and able to build bridges between the two countries’ defense innovation sectors.

We are open to deepening cooperation not only to meet the short-term capability needs of the Hungarian Defense Forces, but also to provide long-term research and development opportunities,”

the statement quotes Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky as saying.

Following his talks with Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Güler, the minister stressed that “Türkiye is not only our partner, but also a very important ally within NATO.” He noted that “our countries are actively working together on important issues such as the soon to be fully operational HQ MND-C (Headquarters Multinational Division Center in Hungary) and the NATO Forward Land Forces (FLF) in Hungary,” the minister said.

“Both Hungary and Türkiye are doing a lot and working with all possible means for the stability of the Western Balkans. Our efforts are also shown by the fact that our soldiers are serving together, both in NATO’s mission in Kosovo and in the EU’s mission in Bosnia,” the minister noted.

Fact

To mark the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the governments of Hungary and Türkiye launched the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year in 2024. The initial plan was to organize 100 cultural events in both countries, but in Türkiye, 170 events were held with around one and a half million visitors during the season, announced Balázs Hankó, Minister for Culture and Innovation, at the end of last year.

The two countries, further deepening their relationship, had earlier announced that last year’s Cultural Year would be continued in 2025 as the Year of Innovation. 24 joint projects putting defense policy and defense innovation issues in focus are being planned. Artificial intelligence, digitalization, and the linking of universities and innovation systems will also be key themes.

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Via MTI, Featured image: Pixabay