The Hungarian and the Turkish Nations Are Very Close to Each Other
Szöveg: Szabolcs Nyulas | 2015. április 10. 9:00The unveiling ceremony of Pasha Ömer Lüfti’s bust took place in the MoD Institute and Museum of Military History on Tuesday, April 7. Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő, Chief of Defence and Volkan Bozkir, Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs jointly unveiled the artwork.
Speaking at the event, Gen. Benkő said that Pasha Ömer Lüfti (Omar Pasha) had made a lot of efforts in the interest of Hungarian troops during the Crimean War. He pointed out that the pasha was born in the area of the Kingdom of Hungary and had excellent military skills. Gen. Benkő stated that the military leader was unavoidable in the field of Hungarian–Turkish diplomatic relations of the age, and expressed hope that the present-day ties between the two countries would become even closer in the field of military affairs and elsewhere.
Volkan Bozkir said that the historical relations and the unveiling of the bust reveal that the Hungarian and the Turkish nations are very close to each other. He added that one can describe the relations between the two nations as brotherly. He noted that a lot of Hungarians had served in the Turkish army during the Crimean War, and many others fled to the Ottoman Empire after the Rákóczi and the 1848–49 wars of independence as well. “Hungarian soldiers have always played an important role in the Ottoman army", he emphasized.
The bust has been placed at an exhibition in the Museum of Military History. The caption below the artwork says that the Hungarian-born Ottoman general was “the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman army during the Crimean Wars and the supporter of Hungarian soldiers serving in the Ottoman army."
Photo: László Tóth
