Gergely Gulyas told a regular press briefing that it could not be ruled out that the reports did not just result from human error but a "coordinated secret services operation".

A national security investigation is under way which is expected to reveal whether those that spread the fake news were also part of the secret services operation or they were "merely useful idiots who could be used by other states for their own purposes," Gulyas said.
 

He added that the Hungarian services had to make great efforts as early as on Sunday to refute the fake news.

Gulyas said that as a result of the fake news, employees of the Hungarian foreign representative office and Hungarians living in the country had come under threat, protection had to be provided for the Syrian embassy in Budapest, and an increased risk of terrorist activity had to be calculated with.

Orban: Attempt made to spread fake news and put Hungary 'in a hot conflict'

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that an attempt had been made to "involve Hungary in a hot conflict" by concocting and spreading a story that would put Hungary in the cross hairs.

He told public radio that the "fake news" regarding Syrian President Assad's appearance in Budapest had been "the most important event of the week" and the most "painful".

Orban noted that during the first phase of the Syrian civil war around 2015, a massive migration and terror wave "swept through Europe" and hundreds of people had died in Europe.

"So what's going on in Syria and its impact on Europe is not ... not a joke or fake news that can be spread; this could get bloody," he said.

The prime minister said "someone wants to involve Hungary in a hot conflict ... and make Hungary a target." He added that someone was hunting Assad and whoever claimed that Assad was in Hungary had wanted to make the country a "hunting ground".

"Who's behind this? Who came up with this? For what purpose? Who from Hungary were involved? Through whom was this hoax spread? What did they want to achieve?" he asked.

MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes only

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

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