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.
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.