Austria to expel clerics in crackdown on political Islam

June 8, 2018 By administrator

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said his country will force several foreign-funded imams to leave the country in a crackdown on political Islam. Several mosques are also in line to be closed.

Austria’s government on Friday said it would potentially expel dozens of imams and close several mosques in a move to tackle political Islam and stem the foreign financing of mosques.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the government was shutting down a hardline Turkish nationalist mosque in the capital, Vienna, and dissolving a group called the Arab Religious Community, which runs an additional six mosques.

The chancellor said the initiative followed an investigation into images that emerged in April of young boys wearing Turkish uniforms marching, saluting, playing dead and waving Turkish flags. The pictures were found to have come from the Cologne-based Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (ATIB) organization, a branch of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet).

“There is no space in our country for parallel societies, political Islam and radical tendencies,” said Kurz, whose conservative Austrian People’s Party (VPÖ) rules in coalition with the right-wing nationalist Freedom Party of Austria (ÖFP).

Transgression of recent laws

Interior Minister Herbert Kickl said the residence permits of dozens of clerics were being investigated to see if they transgressed laws introduced in 2015 that prevent religious communities from receiving funding from abroad. Two had already had their permits revoked, while five more were denied first-time permits.

Of those imams being investigated, 40 were employed by ATIB, but Kickl said the probe went far further.

“The circle of people possibly affected by these measures — the pool that we’re talking about — comprises around 60 imams,” he said. The interior minister added that a total of 150 people risked losing their right to stay in Austria.

Kurz became chancellor in December last year. His party, like the ÖFP, had campaigned on a ticket of

tougher immigration controls, stricter asylum policy, and a crackdown on political Islam.

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin blasted Austria’s decision as an “anti-Islam” and “racist” move. “Austria’s decision to close down seven mosques and deport imams with a lame excuse is a reflection of the anti-Islam, racist and discriminatory populist wave in this country,” Kalin said.

The Austrian government recently announced plans to ban pupils in elementary schools and kindergartens from wearing headscarves, further adding to existing restrictions on religious headwear.

rc/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

Austria blocks Turkish economy minister from coup anniversary rally

July 10, 2017 By administrator

Austria has blocked Turkey’s economy minister from entering the country to attend an anniversary marking last year’s failed coup attempt. It is the latest ban on Turkish ministers in Europe that has enraged Ankara.

Austria said Monday it has barred Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci (pictured) from entering the country to attend a rally marking the one year anniversary of the failed coup attempt in Turkey.

The decision was made because Zeybekci wanted to enter Austria to make a public appearance rather than attend bilateral talks, Austria’s Foreign Ministry said.

The economy minister’s attendance at a rally “represents a danger to public order and security,” the foreign ministry said, adding he was “naturally welcome” for official bilateral talks, according to Austria’s “Die Presse” news agency.

Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, whose conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) has a good chance of coming out on top in October parliamentary elections, made the decision. Immigration is a central theme in the election.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the decision showed that Austria was not “sincere in its approach to defending democratic values.” But earlier, Zeybekci said they did not even request to speak at the July 16 event, which is being organized by a pro-government organization of Turks in Europe.

Ties between Turkey and the European Union have been strained since last July’s failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ankara blames the secretive network of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen for the coup. It has also accused the West of not sufficiently condemning the coup or cracking down on followers of the Gulen movement.

Nearly 50,000 people have been arrested and at least 100,000 dismissed from their jobs in a massive purge that has raised concerns over democracy and the rule of law in Turkey. On Sunday, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, ended a nearly 450 kilometer (280 mile)“Justice March” from Ankara to Istanbul by holding a rally attended by more than a million people calling for an end to emergency rule and injustice.

Repeating trend

Austria has been one of Turkey’s sharpest critics, calling for the end of the country’s accession talks.

In a statement on Monday, Austria’s foreign ministry repeated its condemnation of the coup as well as the “massive wave of imprisonment and firings” and “gross restrictions on freedom of opinion and media.”

Adding to tensions are allegations of Turkish agents and imams spying on suspected followers of the Gulen movement in Austria, similar to that which occurred in Germany.

Austria’s decision came days after the Dutch government said Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes was not welcome to attend a similar event in the Netherlands due to “the current circumstance in bilateral relations between our countries.”

Citing security concerns, Germany also did not provide permission to Erdogan to hold a rally during a visit to Hamburg this weekend for the G20 summit.

Earlier this year, Turkish officials accused Germany and the Netherlands of “Nazi-like” behavior after they blocked several ministers from holding rallies to drum up support among the diaspora for an April referendum to grant Erdogan sweeping powers.

Erdogan has repeatedly floated the idea of reintroducing the death penalty during speeches at home. Germany and other European countries have said they would not let the Turkish government hold rallies that promote the return of the death penalty, which if re-implemented would officially end the country’s moribund EU membership bid.

Source: dw.com

Turkey runs informer network in Austria to target critics: MP

February 16, 2017 By administrator

Austrian lawmaker from the Austrian Greens Peter Pilz (File photo).

A senior Austrian opposition lawmaker has accused Turkey of running an informer network via its embassy in Vienna aimed at targeting the critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and promoting his policies.

On Tuesday, Peter Pilz, from the Austrian Greens party, said at a news conference that he had sent documents regarding the activities of the network, run by the umbrella group ATIB, to the police.

The ATIB is headed by the religion attaché at Turkey’s embassy, Fatih Mehmet Karadas, and oversees the activities of dozens of mosques across Austria.

“The ATIB umbrella group is an instrument of hard, ruthless and, in my view, legally unacceptable Turkish government politics in Austria,” Pilz told a news conference.

Pilz noted that the Turkish government sends imams to work for the ATIB to collect information in particular about followers of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan has accused of plotting an attempted coup in Turkey last July.

Gulen denies any involvement in the abortive coup, which claimed the lives of at least 240 people. However, the Turkish government has arrested tens of thousands of people over suspected ties with the US-based cleric.

The umbrella organization also monitors Turkish Kurds, Turkish opposition politicians and journalists in Austria, Pilz added.

Responding to the comments by the Austrian lawmaker, the Turkish government and the ATIB issued separate statements, denying the accusations.

“We absolutely reject these allegations. We urge Austrian officials to act with reason and to refrain from statements that would harm Turkish-Austrian relations and the peace of the Turkish community in Austria,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced in a statement.

In another statement, the ATIB said that as an Austrian body it did not tolerate any foreign interference.

Austria’s Chancellery and Interior Ministry said their experts are examining the matter.

In a similar case last month, Germany’s domestic spy agency launched a probe into possible spying by Turkish clerics following a complaint by a German Green politician.

Last week, the Turkish embassy informed the Austrian Foreign Ministry that its religion attaché would end his activities in Vienna “soon,” without providing a reason.

In a Sunday interview, Karadas told an Austrian newspaper that ATIB does not oversee the people’s private lives, but said it has a duty to ensure that the people of Turkish origin in Austria are not “radicalized” by Gulen.

“That’s why it is legitimate for us to do research and deliver reports in order to protect our fellow citizens and to protect the Austrian people,” Karadas said.

Gulen denies any involvement in last summer’s coup attempt.

Turkey wide-ranging crackdown following the coup has been criticized by Austria and other EU nations.

Kurz: Austria ready to offer its territory for negotiations on Karabakh

December 2, 2016 By administrator

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.

Austria is ready to help in its mediation efforts during our OSCE Chairmanship, and will also support the other elements of the Minsk Process, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said in an interview with Today.az.

“This is a decisive period and together with our international partners in the OSCE and the EU we are very clear that there can only be a peaceful solution to this conflict. We therefore call on all sides to focus on dialogue and diplomacy. There are ideas and offers on the table to strengthen trust and foster cooperation. The basic elements for further negotiations towards a peace agreement have been agreed upon by both Presidents – the “Madrid Principles”, with small adaptations, have been on the table now for nearly 10 years – so there is a basis and concrete issues to speak about,” the Minister said.

As a neutral country and chairman of the organization, “we are fully aware of our high responsibility in this respect”, Kurz added.

“While Austria is not a member in the Minsk Group, we are ready to help in its mediation efforts during our OSCE Chairmanship, and will also support the other elements of the “Minsk Process”. Azerbaijanis and Armenians can be assured that Austria is prepared to help in their search for a peaceful solution of this conflict – through offering our neutral territory for negotiations, expert dialogue, youth meetings or any other activities that support to focus on peace and exclude the perspectives of war,” the Minister added.

Turkey’s bluff of recalling and shamefully sending back its embassadors

August 23, 2016 By administrator

turkey-recall-embass In the latest row, Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Austria amid a growing spat between the two countries. According to a Deutsche Welle report, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Austria at a press conference of being a center of racism and Islamophobia that supports Kurdish terrorist groups, adding Turkey would “review its relations” with Austria. “Unfortunately, the foundation for our bilateral relations and cooperation to continue as normal has disappeared,” Cavusoglu said.

August 23, 2016

PanARMENIAN.Net – It’s not for the first time when Turkey recalls its ambassadors over various reasons, the main of them, of course, being the Armenian Genocide.

In June 2016, Turkey recalled its ambassador from Berlin after German MPs approved a motion describing the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a century ago as Genocide – a decision that the Turkish president said would “seriously affect” relations between the two countries. The five-page paper, co-written by parliamentarians from the Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Green party, calls for a “commemoration of the genocide of Armenian and other Christian minorities in the years 1915 and 1916”. It passed with support from all the parties in parliament. In a show of hands, there was one abstention and one vote against.

In May 2016, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Bangladesh for consultations after strongly protesting the execution in the country of a top Islamist leader. Motiur Rahman Nizami, leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, was hanged at a Dhaka jail for the massacre of intellectuals during the 1971 independence war with Pakistan.

In June 2015, Turkey it recalled its ambassador to Brazil, after the country’s Senate passed legislation recognizing the massacre of Armenians during World War One in as Genocide. “We view the decision by the Brazilian Senate that distorts reality and overlooks the law as irresponsible and we condemn it,” the foreign ministry said, so characteristic of it.

In April 2015, Turkey recalled its envoy to Vatican after Pope Francis called the slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks “the first genocide of the 20th century” and urged the international community to recognize it as such. “The pope’s statement, which is far from historic and legal truths, is unacceptable,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted at the time.

Also in April 2015, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Austria after parties represented in parliament signed a declaration recognizing the massacre of Armenians a century ago as Genocide. “The declaration by the Austrian parliament permanently scarred the friendship and relations between Turkey and Austria,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to announce the recall of ambassador Hasan Gogus “for consultations.”

In August 2013, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Egypt after Turkish criticism of Cairo’s crackdown on supporters of former President Mohammed Morsi.

In December 2011, Turkey recalled its ambassador to France in retaliation over a vote in French Parliament making it a crime to deny the WWI-era mass killings of Armenians amounts to Genocide. It also banned the French navy from using its territorial waters and restricted French military jets using its airspace. The French Foreign Ministry asked Turkey not to overact when the French Senate approved the bill, which, however, was later blocked by the Constitutional Court.

In April 2011, Turkish Foreign Ministry decided to recall its ambassador to Syria. Violent measures by Syrian security forces against anti-government demonstrators were cited as the reason for the move.

In December 2010, Turkey recalled its envoy to Turkmenistan, who was revealed by WikiLeaks to have reportedly served as a source to the U.S. embassy about concerns of uranium transfer to Iran, appears to have been recalled to Ankara. Another ambassador was appointed instead.

In March 2010, Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Washington after a U.S. congressional committee narrowly approved a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The House Foreign Affairs Committee endorsed it, despite the objections of the White House.

Also in March 2010, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Sweden for consultations following the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Swedish Parliament. According to Ankara, the vote was “based upon major errors and without foundation,” then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled his visit to Stockholm.

In April 2009, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Canada for consultation after the country’s Prime Minister spoke at a vigil to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

Lusine Mkrtumova / PanARMENIAN.Net

Austria says EU does not need Turkey to cope with migrants

August 16, 2016 By administrator

Austia-fm The European Union does not need Turkey to cope with the migrant crisis, which paralyzed the bloc in 2015 after more than 1 million migrants flocked to the EU, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has said, adding that what the EU needed was a “real Plan A.”

“We must not give in to blackmail and therefore do not need a plan B. We at last need a proper plan A,” Kurz told Focus Online on Aug. 15, adding that Turkey was trying to target the EU with an ultimatum for the visa liberalization process.

“If we take the necessary action, we do not need a plan B, so no deal with Turkey,” he added.

Relations between Turkey and the EU have been strained since Brussels pressured Turkey to change its anti-terror law, one of the 72 criteria Turkey needs to fulfill in exchange for Turkish citizens to be granted visa-free travel inside the EU’s Schengen zone. This exchange was reached within the scope of a migrant deal between the sides, in which Turkey would help curb the migrant influx into the bloc in exchange for accelerated membership talks, EU funding for Syrians in Turkey, and visa liberalization for Turkish citizens.

Strained relations have gotten even worse after failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15. Turkey accuses the EU and the West of not giving enough support to the Turkish government after the coup attempt was overcome and being more concerned about the crackdown in the aftermath.

Kurz and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu have been in a war of words since last week, when the former suggested that Ankara’s EU membership bid should not proceed and the latter responded that Turkey would halt the migrant deal if Turkey’s visa-free demand is not met.

“I do not know if the deal will be officially terminated. But what we are experiencing now are threats and the attempt by Turkey to provide us with an ultimatum for visa liberalization,” Kurz told Focus Online.

EU: Vienna will oppose the opening of new chapters with Turkey (Minister)

August 7, 2016 By administrator

austeria no turkey Vienna will oppose the opening of new negotiation chapters for the entry of Turkey into the European Union, particularly because of the scale of repression since the failed coup of July 15, announced head of the Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.

“I say in the council (EU) Ministers of Foreign Affairs, where it will be decided whether a new chapter will be opened with Turkey. And I am opposed, “he said in an interview to be published Sunday in the daily Kurier. Decisions in this council must be taken unanimously.

This position is shared by the Social Democratic chancellor Christian Kern, who will try to turn to “convince other heads of state and government need to stop the accession negotiations with Turkey” at the European summit of 16 September, said the Conservative minister.

The relaunch of EU-Turkey accession negotiations, as the visa exemption for Turkish nationals, are the main counterparties demanded by Ankara to continue to block the flow of migrants to Europe, under the terms of an agreement concluded with the Twenty-Eight in March.

Skeptical for several months on the merits of the agreement extorted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Austria has multiplied heated exchanges with Ankara in recent days, hardening day by day its position because of the scale of purges ordered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Wednesday, Mr Kern had urged the EU to stop the Turkish accession talks, but without openly brandish the threat of a veto of his country.

Kurz has in turn called repeatedly its European partners to organize flow management independently refugees from Turkey, so as not to “depend” of that State. “The house of cards of the failed migration policy in Europe is about to collapse,” said he warned Friday evening on Austrian TV.

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, recently itself mentioned a risk “high” to see scupper agreement. He warned Thursday that a breakdown in negotiations would be a “serious foreign policy mistake.”

Vis-à-vis Turkey firmness been a broad consensus in the Austrian political class, both in the big left-right coalition that among the FPÖ and Green opposition parties, two months of a new presidential election.

Austria calls for EU to end Turkey’s accession process

August 4, 2016 By administrator

Austria-turkey eu Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, Wednesday urged the European Union to stop the Turkish accession talks, whereas Ankara is conducting a purge of magnitude following the failed coup of 15 July.

The accession of Turkey to the EU was already experiencing problems since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested to reinstate the death penalty. “We have to face reality: the accession negotiations are nothing more than fiction,” said Christian Kern Austrian media, adding that “the Turkish democratic norms are far from sufficient for membership.”

The chancellor said he wanted a debate on the subject be discussed at the European Council on 16 September. Rather it recommends the EU to seek “new alternatives” to help the Turkish economy to move closer to European requirements.

“(The country) remains an important partner in issues of security and integration,” said Christian Kern, stressing the key role of Turkey in the crisis of migrants.

In March, Turkey and the EU have signed a pact to dry up migrant crossings from the Turkish coast to the Greek islands, and allows the return to Turkey of migrants in exchange for political and financial counterparties whose acceleration accession negotiations.

Twenty years in prison for Austrian hate preacher Ebu Tejma

July 14, 2016 By administrator

jail jihadist An Austrian court was ready to send a message to would-be Islamist recruiters. Ebu Tejma, who has facilitated sending more than 150 Europeans to the Middle East to fight with extremists, now faces a 20-year jail term.

A criminal court in Graz, Austria, was determined to set an example on Wednesday when they sentenced a hate preacher who has adopted the name Ebu Tejma to 20 years in prison. He was sentenced on one count of membership in a terrorist organization and one of promoting terrorist activities.

Born in Serbia as Mirsad O.*, Tejma became famous in 2014 for allegedly recruiting two Austrian teenage girls to leave their homes and travel to Syria to support “Islamic State” (IS) jihadis. One of them is believed to have died while living amongst the terrorists.

He gained notoriety once again when an entire Austrian family of five traveled to join IS at his urging in February 2015. He is said to have recruited over 150 foreign fighters to fight for Islamist causes across the world.

According to the Counter Extremism Project, Tejma is thought to have founded a Bosnian terrorist cell based in Vienna. Prosecutors accused him of using YouTube to radicalize young people and push them to join Islamist extremist movements across the world. Furthermore, he called on his followers to commit murder and genocide against non-believers.

Tejma, 35, was arrested in November 2015 and pled not guilty to the charges. His sentence is the harshest so far for convicted Islamists in Austria.

*Editor’s note: Deutsche Welle follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.

es/msh (dpa, AFP)

Turkey recalls ambassador as Austria recognizes 1915 Armenian killings as ‘genocide’

April 22, 2015 By administrator

Turkey said Wednesday it is recalling its ambassador to Austria after parties represented in parliament signed a declaration recognizing the massacre of Armenians a century ago as genocide.

The six parties signed a declaration on Tuesday and held a minute of silence in memory of the victims.

“Due to the historic responsibility – the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was allied with the Osman Empire during World War I – it is our responsibility to recognize the terrible events as genocide and to condemn them,” the declaration stated.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry recalled Turkey’s Ambassador to Vienna Mehmet Hasan Göğüş to Ankara for consultations after the Austrian Parliament’s decision.

“This declaration….has caused outrage for us,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We reject this biased attitude of the Austrian parliament, trying to lecture others on history, which has no room in today’s world.

“It is clear that this declaration…will have permanent negative effects on Turkey-Austria relations.”