Austria bars Turkish economy minister for event marking coup anniversary

 

FILE PHOTO: Turkey's Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci makes a speech in Cologne, Germany, March 5, 2017. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

 

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria has barred Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci from entering the country to attend an event marking the anniversary of last year's failed coup in Turkey, a spokesman for Austria's foreign ministry said on Monday.

 

The planned event was "very big" and the visit represented a "danger for public order and security in Austria", the spokesman added. There was no immediate comment from Turkey.

 

The decision follows a similar move by the Netherlands, which said on Friday that Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes was not welcome to visit for a ceremony among Turkish expatriates to commemorate the anniversary.

 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also complained last week that he was not allowed to speak to Turks in Germany during his visit to the country for a G20 leaders' summit, telling a newspaper that Germany was "committing suicide".

 

"I can confirm that (Austrian) Foreign Minister (Sebastian) Kurz has in fact forbidden the Turkish economy minister from entering the country," the spokesman for Austria's foreign ministry said, repeating comments he made earlier to ORF radio.

 

Austria has been one of the most vocal critics in the European Union of Turkey's security crackdown since the failed coup last July in which 240 people were killed. Vienna has repeatedly called for Turkey's EU accession talks to be stopped.

 

In the past year Turkey has jailed more than 50,000 people pending trial and suspended or dismissed some 150,000, including soldiers, teachers and civil servants, over alleged links with the exiled Muslim cleric Ankara blames for the coup.

 

Monday's decision also echoes a dispute in March between Turkey and several countries with large Turkish populations, including the Netherlands and Austria, which blocked pro-Erdogan rallies in the run-up to an April 16 referendum that granted him sweeping new powers.

 

(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Paul Tait and Andrew Heavens)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-07-10

If only other countries would follow this example...

Kurz is a silver-tongued clever guy with balls. My fellow austrians are a light in the dark EU.

9 hours ago, schlog said:

are a light in the dark EU

 

You just left out Hungary and Poland! Plus Czech Republic.

12 hours ago, Deli said:

If only other countries would follow this example...

Actually other countries have previously set the example. Germany for instance...

Turkey condemns German court for banning Erdoğan video link to rally

 

Turkey has condemned a German court decision banning president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from addressing his supporters by video link at a rally of tens of thousands of Cologne.

Tensions have been running high among Germany’s three million-strong Turkish population in the wake of last month’s failed coup and authorities deployed 2,700 police officers on the streets of the Rhineland city on Sunday to keep the peace.

Amid fears that the crowds could be riled by live screenings of speeches from Turkey by politicians including Erdoğan, Germany’s constitutional court banned an application for such broadcasts.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/31/erdogan-supporters-cologne-germany-turkish-rally