Dialogue is important

Schallenberg travels to Turkey for talks

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) and Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/BMEIA/MICHAEL GRUBER)

At the start of a visit to Turkey, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) praised the close bilateral relations between Vienna and Ankara, but clearly rejected the country's accession to the EU. "Turkey has been moving away from the EU for years - in words and in deeds. Turkey's accession to the EU is an illusion," said Schallenberg in the Turkish capital on Monday.

The visit will focus on security policy, the fight against illegal migration and the situation in Gaza, according to the Foreign Ministry.

"Neighborhood concept" instead of EU membership
Schallenberg reiterated Austria's long-standing position that relations between the EU and Turkey need "a realistic neighborhood concept" instead of full membership, "supported by pragmatic cooperation". "Although - and precisely because - we disagree on many issues, pragmatic dialogue is all the more important," emphasized the Foreign Minister.

The first item on the agenda of the visit was a wreath-laying ceremony at the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In 1924, the father of modern Turkey also signed a friendship treaty with the then equally young Republic of Austria.

"In their friendship treaty 100 years ago, Austria and Türkiye sealed their great bond and friendship - between the two republics and the citizens of both our countries," wrote the Foreign Minister in the mausoleum's Golden Book.

Schallenberg at the wreath-laying ceremony at the Atatürk Mausoleum

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/BMEIA/MICHAEL GRUBER)

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/BMEIA/MICHAEL GRUBER)

300,000 people of Turkish origin live in Austria
"60 years ago, on May 15, 1964, this bond was tightened even further with the recruitment agreement," continued Schallenberg, referring to the agreement known as the "guest worker agreement". The agreement heralded the influx of Turkish workers to Austria and laid the foundation for the fact that around 300,000 people of Turkish origin live in the Alpine republic today.

A meeting with Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya was planned for Monday afternoon. Schallenberg was accompanied by the Director General for Public Security in the Ministry of the Interior, Franz Ruf. Turkey plays a key role in the EU's efforts to stem illegal migration from the Middle East. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will meet Schallenberg on Tuesday.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Turkey is "an important hub in a very volatile neighborhood". Against this backdrop, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also trying to position himself as a mediator between Moscow and Kiev and also hosted direct talks between the conflicting parties shortly after the start of the war, but these came to nothing in view of Russia's declared desire to destroy Ukraine.

"Reliable channels to Hamas"
Turkey is less diplomatic in the Middle East conflict. It has clearly sided with Hamas and recently even imposed a trade boycott against its previously important economic partner Israel. In this regard, Schallenberg emphasized that Turkey is currently "one of the few players with reliable channels to Hamas". Erdogan recently received the head of the Palestinian terrorist organization, Ismail Haniyeh, in Ankara.

Domestically, Erdogan's conservative Islamic AK Party is under pressure. In the local elections at the end of March, it was no longer the strongest party in the country for the first time since it was founded two decades ago. The social democratic CHP was not only able to defend its mayoral positions in Ankara and Istanbul, but also made significant gains in other large cities and rural areas.