Hungarian FM Göncz: New concept in visa regimes
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gül Demir and Niki Gamm
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 11, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - A new concept was introduced in Turkey’s diplomatic world this week; a visa center set up by the Hungarian government will have the authority to represent other countries in the granting of European Union visas, starting with Slovenia and Estonia.
By opening the very first Common Visa Representation Center in Turkey, the participating member states are serving a good example of the implementation of the EU’s visa policy. The center, operated by the Hungarian Consulate General, allows Schengen member states that are currently not represented in Turkey to have a presence in Turkey in visa matters. Norway is currently negotiating to join Turkey's Common Visa Representation Center.
The center allows Hungary to effectively contribute to the intensification of bilateral Turkish-Hungarian relations, as well as to the enhancement of EU-Turkey relations and people-to-people contacts, by easing the travel of Turkish citizens to those countries.
Hungarian Consul General Maria Szekelyne Nemeth has been behind-the-scenes in the opening of this center.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Kinga Göncz, who was in Istanbul for the occasion, spoke with the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review about the center and her expectations. "A common visa representation center was first set up by Hungary in Kishino, Moldova. The results achieved by this visa center were very good, so in seeing the very good results, we set up this one. I think it is important because it was a very busy bureau. Since it represents the European Union, it means that people won’t have to wait too long to obtain results and not just Hungarians, it is also very useful for all of the EU member states, to help each other in that sense, because not all of the countries can be represented everywhere in smaller countries or medium-size countries. It is something which is very helpful for all of us. We are also a representative for some other countries like Slovenia. We provide support and representation for more countries," she said.
Mixed relations
Turkey and Hungary have had mixed relations over the centuries. "Today we have very good relations, very friendly relations between the two countries. Turkey is very popular in Hungary. Many Hungarian tourists come and spend time and summer holidays here, but there are growing business relationships as well," said Göncz.
When asked how she evaluates Turkey’s bid to become a full EU member and its chances, Göncz said: "It is a classic question. You know exactly that we have had a similar experience. Enlargement is a very strong, litigation-motivating factor for the country to go through, including some major changes, sometimes very painful changes. We have been going through the same process. What is important is that it has to be a marriage-based accession and meet all the EU criteria. It is not only true for Turkey, but with all of the countries lining up for membership, I think it will be a long process, as long as the process with the other member states, but I think it is also important for Turkey to implement these changes and go through this process and I think it must be open to the process."
Turning to economic relations between Turkey and Hungary, one of the most important joint projects is the Nabucco pipeline. The Nabucco pipeline would run 3,300-kilometers from Azerbaijan via Turkey and the Balkan states to Austria. Construction is scheduled to begin this year, with the completion date set for 2013. A Hungarian company is among the companies backing the Nabucco pipeline project.
Key role
When Göncz was asked how the project was progressing, she said, "You know that Hungary is taking a very key role in Nabucco because this is very much in the interests of Hungary to have an alternative energy resource. It is important and we have pointed this out to the Hungarian ambassador who has been working on putting together an intergovernmental agreement. It creates a business aspect in which backing from the government is extremely important.
"We also organized a high-level conference because it is important in the sense that companies be represented as well as the government. The European Central Bank and the European Investment Bank also support the financial project. I think the progress is going very well. There are some European financial supporters as well, so the economic recovery plan is important for Nabucco which as a project is also important."
When asked about U.S. President Barack Obama’s tour of Europe Göncz said: "I think, in some sense, it was a historic time and visit to Europe. It was quite a long trip, you know it was the G-20 meeting and started with the G-20 meeting. I think it was also an important moment. We know that because the whole crisis is a global crisis and it seems to be very important to find global solutions to problems, in that sense I think U.S. participation is very important," she said.
"There was the NATO summit as well. There are now 28 members of NATO and they have to find a consensus on different issues among the 28 member states. But there is open communication, nobody dominates. It means that anybody might have concerns and it is very important to find the answers to some of the problems. You know organizations, they think it was quite successful to just spend two days together and produce an agreement at the end. The problem is more about finding consensus on certain issues and finding solutions for them. I think it is also important that Andres Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s future secretary-general, came here and gave a speech in Turkey and as far as I understand, he was really able somehow to answer some of the concerns," said Göncz.
Turkish-Hungarian relations
Hungary’s formative years were a mixture of conquest and retreat and invasion. Sometimes the country was a kingdom and was strong, sometimes a collection of warriors intent on holding the land that we now call Hungary. And then came the Turks in the 14th century, intent on expanding into Europe as they began to expand from their base in western Anatolia. The angst raised in Europe didn’t mean the various countries there were willing to support Hungary in its attempts to stem the tide of Turkish advances.
The Battle of Varna in 1444 signaled the serious presence of Turkish troops and Ottoman government. Allies Poland and Hungary, in this case were defeated, opening the way for an invasion by the Turks. Internal feuds, inheritances, tribute and internal revolts led to such blood-letting that in 1526 the Hungarians were defeated at the battle of Mohacs. The Hungarians’ loss meant the Ottomans were in a great position to invade Western Europe. However the defeat of the Ottomans at the gates of Vienna in 1529 led to Ottoman domination of Hungary for 150 years. An Ottoman pasha resided in the royal castle of Buda and officials lower in the Ottoman hierarchy governed the people and their money.
As time went on the Turks watched the growth of a number of challengers to their power but were most concerned by the enmity of the Catholic countries in Western Europe. This led to the Turks’ encouraging the reformation of the Christian religion that took deep roots in parts of today’s Hungary. Finally in 1697, the last Ottoman troops were driven out of Hungary.
Afterwards the Ottoman Empire was perceived by Hungarians as being a place of refugee. The most outstanding of those who came was Ilona Zrinyi. Zrinyi was married to Frenc Rakoczi and was the mother of Prince Frenc Rakoczi II. After Rakoczi died she married Irme Thokoly, who was the commander of the fortress at Mohacs. After her husband was captured, she took over command of the fortress of Munkacs from the Hapsburgs between 1685 and1688. Afterwards, Zrinyi and Thokoly traveled to the Ottoman Empire, which they considered safer and quieter than war-ravaged Hungary. She lived in Istanbul, Tekirdağ and İzmit and died there in 1703. Hungarian scholar Dr. Agnes R. Varkonyi just released a book on the life of Ilona Zrinyi in Turkish and Hungarian. It is published by the Hungarian Turkish Friendship Association. Ilona Zrinyi was named by French King Louis XIV, "the bravest woman in Europe." And with good reason, she was a cultured woman, open to everything, an innovator and possessed a Renaissance personality.
The center allows Hungary to effectively contribute to the intensification of bilateral Turkish-Hungarian relations, as well as to the enhancement of EU-Turkey relations and people-to-people contacts, by easing the travel of Turkish citizens to those countries.
Hungarian Consul General Maria Szekelyne Nemeth has been behind-the-scenes in the opening of this center.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Kinga Göncz, who was in Istanbul for the occasion, spoke with the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review about the center and her expectations. "A common visa representation center was first set up by Hungary in Kishino, Moldova. The results achieved by this visa center were very good, so in seeing the very good results, we set up this one. I think it is important because it was a very busy bureau. Since it represents the European Union, it means that people won’t have to wait too long to obtain results and not just Hungarians, it is also very useful for all of the EU member states, to help each other in that sense, because not all of the countries can be represented everywhere in smaller countries or medium-size countries. It is something which is very helpful for all of us. We are also a representative for some other countries like Slovenia. We provide support and representation for more countries," she said.
Mixed relations
Turkey and Hungary have had mixed relations over the centuries. "Today we have very good relations, very friendly relations between the two countries. Turkey is very popular in Hungary. Many Hungarian tourists come and spend time and summer holidays here, but there are growing business relationships as well," said Göncz.
When asked how she evaluates Turkey’s bid to become a full EU member and its chances, Göncz said: "It is a classic question. You know exactly that we have had a similar experience. Enlargement is a very strong, litigation-motivating factor for the country to go through, including some major changes, sometimes very painful changes. We have been going through the same process. What is important is that it has to be a marriage-based accession and meet all the EU criteria. It is not only true for Turkey, but with all of the countries lining up for membership, I think it will be a long process, as long as the process with the other member states, but I think it is also important for Turkey to implement these changes and go through this process and I think it must be open to the process."
Turning to economic relations between Turkey and Hungary, one of the most important joint projects is the Nabucco pipeline. The Nabucco pipeline would run 3,300-kilometers from Azerbaijan via Turkey and the Balkan states to Austria. Construction is scheduled to begin this year, with the completion date set for 2013. A Hungarian company is among the companies backing the Nabucco pipeline project.
Key role
When Göncz was asked how the project was progressing, she said, "You know that Hungary is taking a very key role in Nabucco because this is very much in the interests of Hungary to have an alternative energy resource. It is important and we have pointed this out to the Hungarian ambassador who has been working on putting together an intergovernmental agreement. It creates a business aspect in which backing from the government is extremely important.
"We also organized a high-level conference because it is important in the sense that companies be represented as well as the government. The European Central Bank and the European Investment Bank also support the financial project. I think the progress is going very well. There are some European financial supporters as well, so the economic recovery plan is important for Nabucco which as a project is also important."
When asked about U.S. President Barack Obama’s tour of Europe Göncz said: "I think, in some sense, it was a historic time and visit to Europe. It was quite a long trip, you know it was the G-20 meeting and started with the G-20 meeting. I think it was also an important moment. We know that because the whole crisis is a global crisis and it seems to be very important to find global solutions to problems, in that sense I think U.S. participation is very important," she said.
"There was the NATO summit as well. There are now 28 members of NATO and they have to find a consensus on different issues among the 28 member states. But there is open communication, nobody dominates. It means that anybody might have concerns and it is very important to find the answers to some of the problems. You know organizations, they think it was quite successful to just spend two days together and produce an agreement at the end. The problem is more about finding consensus on certain issues and finding solutions for them. I think it is also important that Andres Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s future secretary-general, came here and gave a speech in Turkey and as far as I understand, he was really able somehow to answer some of the concerns," said Göncz.
Turkish-Hungarian relations
Hungary’s formative years were a mixture of conquest and retreat and invasion. Sometimes the country was a kingdom and was strong, sometimes a collection of warriors intent on holding the land that we now call Hungary. And then came the Turks in the 14th century, intent on expanding into Europe as they began to expand from their base in western Anatolia. The angst raised in Europe didn’t mean the various countries there were willing to support Hungary in its attempts to stem the tide of Turkish advances.
The Battle of Varna in 1444 signaled the serious presence of Turkish troops and Ottoman government. Allies Poland and Hungary, in this case were defeated, opening the way for an invasion by the Turks. Internal feuds, inheritances, tribute and internal revolts led to such blood-letting that in 1526 the Hungarians were defeated at the battle of Mohacs. The Hungarians’ loss meant the Ottomans were in a great position to invade Western Europe. However the defeat of the Ottomans at the gates of Vienna in 1529 led to Ottoman domination of Hungary for 150 years. An Ottoman pasha resided in the royal castle of Buda and officials lower in the Ottoman hierarchy governed the people and their money.
As time went on the Turks watched the growth of a number of challengers to their power but were most concerned by the enmity of the Catholic countries in Western Europe. This led to the Turks’ encouraging the reformation of the Christian religion that took deep roots in parts of today’s Hungary. Finally in 1697, the last Ottoman troops were driven out of Hungary.
Afterwards the Ottoman Empire was perceived by Hungarians as being a place of refugee. The most outstanding of those who came was Ilona Zrinyi. Zrinyi was married to Frenc Rakoczi and was the mother of Prince Frenc Rakoczi II. After Rakoczi died she married Irme Thokoly, who was the commander of the fortress at Mohacs. After her husband was captured, she took over command of the fortress of Munkacs from the Hapsburgs between 1685 and1688. Afterwards, Zrinyi and Thokoly traveled to the Ottoman Empire, which they considered safer and quieter than war-ravaged Hungary. She lived in Istanbul, Tekirdağ and İzmit and died there in 1703. Hungarian scholar Dr. Agnes R. Varkonyi just released a book on the life of Ilona Zrinyi in Turkish and Hungarian. It is published by the Hungarian Turkish Friendship Association. Ilona Zrinyi was named by French King Louis XIV, "the bravest woman in Europe." And with good reason, she was a cultured woman, open to everything, an innovator and possessed a Renaissance personality.