Turkey Recalls Envoy to Vienna ‘to Revise' Ties after Austria Bans Anti-coup Rally

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that Ankara has recalled its ambassador to Vienna after the Austrian authorities banned a meeting against last month’s coup attempt in Turkey.

The Turkish envoy was recalled "for consultations and to revise relations," Anadolu Agency quoted Cavusoglu as saying at a news conference in Ankara on Monday.

Turkey’s move was prompted by a decision of the Austrian authorities to ban an anti-coup meeting of Turkish citizens, while allowing a march in support of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Saturday. Turkey and a number of Western countries regard PKK as a terrorist organization.

“We cannot remain insensitive to this attitude supporting terrorism. Unfortunately, the ground on which our bilateral relations and cooperation with Austria can be normally sustained has disappeared,” Cavusoglu said, according to the Turkish news agency.

Austria’s Foreign Ministry summoned Turkey’s ambassador to Vienna several days after July 15 foiled coup attempt to discuss the political course Ankara is taking after in the wake of the mutiny. Around 4,000 people of Turkish origin marched to the Turkish embassy in Vienna on July 21 to protest the coup attempt and express support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Some 250,000 people of Turkish origin live in Austria, including around 76,000 in Vienna.

Vienna has also angered Ankara by saying that the EU should halt membership talks with Turkey due to arrests of thousands of public service officials in the wake of the failed coup.