In Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan declares himself the winner of the elections, and in Vienna-Favoriten, the masses cheer – causing dismay and fear among the population. With luck, no tragedy happened: an ambulance got stuck in the crowd.
Kurt Tichy of the well-known ice cream parlor of the same name describes the landscape on Reumannplatz in Favoriten as a “great black wall of people”. In front of his door, thousands of young Turks celebrated the victory of ruler Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Reumannplatz on Sunday evening.
Tichy: “It was difficult to assess the situation. It was a heated mood. We closed all the doors because fireworks were also used.” Another entrepreneur told the “Krone”: “I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened if Erdogan had not won.”
Ambulance is stuck
The landscape is absolutely strange. In Turkey, the Turkish president hands out banknotes and proclaims himself the winner of the election, and some 1,000 miles away Viennese Turks celebrate him loudly. They are lucky that their blockade did not lead to tragedy: an ambulance was stuck in the crowd for minutes after being called for an injured child nearby. “We then drove on, but it would have been nice if we had been let through immediately,” the Viennese professional rescue service confirms to the “Krone” of the incident. The child was able to receive timely medical attention.
“Favorites made to calibrate”
The reactions of domestic politicians are not very positive: Viennese integration councilor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS): “It is worrying that a large number of almost 74 percent of Turks living in Austria support Erdogan. Such an endorsement of an autocrat is in stark contrast with the basic principles of a free democratic society as we experience it in Austria. Criminal offenses must be punished.”
Viennese FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp says: “The celebrations with the Muslim Brotherhood, the wolf salute and the shouting of ‘Allahu Akbar’ in the middle of Vienna show that this part of Vienna has long since been abandoned and left to radical migrant groups. SPÖ and mayor Ludwig have turned favorites into a caliphate.”
No comment from district manager
We also wanted to talk to the district leader Marcus Franz (SPÖ). But just like almost two weeks ago, when we wanted to talk to him about current integration challenges, there was no statement from the district this time either.
Clear tenor in street research
A street survey by “Krone” gave a clear picture: almost everyone is willing to turn a blind eye if there is loud and noisy partying in their neighborhood – but none of the respondents at Reumannplatz agree with the reason for this: meetings for political contents that have nothing to do with Austria do not belong here either, that is the general tenor.
Cheering for Erdoğan also seems illogical to many of those interviewed: after all, it is the living conditions in Turkey that drove many of those celebrating Erdoğan from Turkey to Vienna.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
