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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was once again rebuked by European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after attending a meeting of the Organization of Turkic-speaking States (OTS) in Azerbaijan on Saturday.
Brussels, EU countries, the United States and Kiev criticized Orban a few days ago after he visited Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Orban’s meeting with Putin comes as Hungary holds the rotating six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union.
EU officials sharply criticized his surprise visit, saying it could undermine the bloc’s position on the war in Ukraine and saying Orban was not traveling there as a representative of Brussels.
Borrell said Orban’s attendance at an informal OTS summit in Azerbaijan on Saturday was another event at which he represented Hungary rather than the EU.
“Hungary has not received a mandate from the EU Council to advance relations with the Organization of Turkic-speaking States,” Borrell said in a statement.
“Are we not allowed to have dinner, or do we also need authorization from EUCO (European Council)?” his political director wrote in “X” after a visit to Moscow.
Borrell said the EU opposed the OTS’s efforts to legitimize it by admitting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as an observer member.
For decades, the island of Cyprus has been divided between the internationally recognized Greek-speaking Republic of Cyprus, also a member of the European Union, and the Turkish-speaking Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara.
OTS is an international organization that brings together Turkish-speaking countries. It was founded in 2009 by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Hungary became an observer member in 2018. /REL
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