Improving Austria’s relations with Turkey. The relationship was quite tense under Sebastian Kurz. Bad words flew back and forth. That’s different now. On Thursday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer will meet Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid. The chairman of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, was already with the powerful head of state on Monday.
“They are happy that we are coming to Turkey,” said Sobotka, looking at his hosts. It was pointed out that the last time a Speaker of the Austrian Parliament was in Turkey was 17 years ago. In 2016, relations had deteriorated dramatically when Austria called for the EU accession negotiations to be broken off as a result of the failed coup against Erdogan.
The conversation between Sobotka and Erdogan on Monday focused on bilateral issues, migration and the war in Ukraine. “Turkey sees itself as a peacemaker,” Sobotka said after the meeting. He also emphasized the important relations between Turkey and Austria. “We are the fourth largest investor there. And Austria has the largest Turkish community per capita in the EU.”
Strategic partnership with the EU
2023 will be elected in Turkey. There are 6.5 million Turks living abroad. Important for Erdogan. In Austria, 72% recently voted for his party. Erdogan wants a strategic partnership with the EU. According to Sobotka, Ankara is no longer interested in participating.
Sobotka: “Erdogan says: if the EU does not speak with one voice against Russia, Putin will take advantage of the weakness.”
Meeting with Nehammer on Thursday
Erdogan’s meeting with Chancellor Karl Nehammer will follow on Thursday. Erdogan sees this as a “continuation of the normalization process” between Vienna and Ankara. A visit was also paid to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. He called Erdogan in March and spoke of “currently positive developments in bilateral relations”.
Two weeks ago, Viennese mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) met the Turkish president during a visit to Istanbul.
Source: Krone
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