Turkey

Austria Supports Earthquake Victims in Turkish-Syrian Border Area

The devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria left devastation and over 6000 people dead. The search for survivors in the rubble continues, among other things with numerous international aid. Austria is also sending aid with 82 soldiers and 3 million euros from the Foreign Disaster Fund (AKF) for relief organizations. NGOs in Vienna, meanwhile, are asking for monetary donations.

February 7, 2023

Celebration of the 99th Foundation Day of Türkiye in Vienna

The invitation of the Turkish Embassy in Austria was accepted by numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps, representatives of Austrian state institutions as well as prominent members of the large Turkish diaspora in Vienna. The reception on the occasion of the celebration of the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey took place in the Strauss Hall of the Vienna Kursalon.

October 30, 2022

Ankara and Vienna Sign Cooperation Agreement

The capitals of Austria and Turkey, Vienna and Ankara, will intensify their cooperation in the future. Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig received the Mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavas, in the City Hall. Both mayors signed a cooperation agreement to this effect in Vienna City Hall.

October 19, 2022

Meeting in New York: Turkey and Austria Strengthen Bilateral Relations

In the course of his stay at the UN General Assembly in New York, Federal President Van der Bellen met Turkish President Erdogan. Among the topics discussed were the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and Turkey's role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.

September 23, 2022

Political Consultations between Turkey and Austria, OSCE and European Forum Alpbach

Turkey and Austria held bilateral political consultations in Vienna. The focus was on aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as an exchange of views on Turkiye's EU accession process.

September 4, 2022

Weekly Briefing: New Economic Developments

The Find out more about this week's developments. The war in Ukraine is also making itself increasingly felt in the Austrian economy. In Vienna, there are new developments in the day-to-day business of diplomacy. Read about the latest developments in diplomacy in Vienna and Austria.

August 18, 2022

Embassy of Turkey in Vienna Participated in the Program "100 Jahre Bildung für Wien"

Yusuf Yıldız, Counsellor for Education of the Embassy of Turkey in Vienna participated in the program "Come together 100 years of education" organized by the Vienna Directorate of Education on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Vienna Directorate of Education.

August 16, 2022

Meet the New Permanent Representative of Türkiye to the United Nations in Vienna

Levent Eler, Turkey's new permanent representative, presented his credentials to the Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, Dennis Thatchaichawalit. Meet Ambassador Levent Eler, the new permanent representative of the Republic of Turkey to the International Organizations in Vienna.

August 16, 2022

Austrian Chancellor in Cyprus: "EU Asylum System has Failed"

After his stay in Israel, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer visited the island of Cyprus where he spoke with Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiadis about the issue of illegal immigration. Also on the agenda were topics such as food security and a visit to the UNFICYP peacekeeping force.

July 14, 2022

Austrian Foreign and Interior Ministers Visit Ankara

Austria's Foreign and Interior Ministers were recently on a working trip to Turkey. The two politicians met their respective counterparts to discuss acute issues such as food security or illegal migration triggered by the conflict in Ukraine. The two ministers are currently travelling together and have been in Egypt for the past few days.

July 5, 2022

Forgotten Crisis: Austria Supports Syria at International Donor Conference

This week, the 6th donor conference to support Syria and the region is taking place in Brussels. This conference is the most important donor event for the country, which has suffered enormously in recent years, mainly due to war and natural disasters, and is still dependent on humanitarian aid from other countries. Austria is also represented and will contribute to the relief efforts.

May 10, 2022

How the European Union Is Providing Humanitarian Help to Ukraine

In Ukraine, the war has been raging for about two months now. The situation for people in Ukraine is miserable and the constant fighting makes normal life impossible. The European Union also provides humanitarian support to Ukraine. Read more about the EU's humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

April 28, 2022

Meet the New Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative of Peru to the International Organizations in Vienna

Luis Alberto Campana Boluarte, Brazil's new permanent representative, presented his credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, Ghada Waly. Ambassador Boluarte is an experienced diplomat. Meet Ambassador Boluarte, the new permanent representative of Brazil to the International Organizations in Vienna.

April 28, 2022

How the Austrian Development Agency Assists in Post-Soviet Conflicts in the South Caucasus

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the South Caucasus states of Armenia and Georgia have been searching for a new political and social identity. The trend goes in the direction of Europe. The EU and Austria are standing by with support.

April 4, 2022

After Diplomatic Tensions Between Turkey and Austria New Start for Archaeological Excavations in Ephesus

Due to the talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, as well as between Foreign Ministers Alexander Schallenberg and Mevlüt Cavusoğlu, a new start for archaeological excavations Ephesos could be achieved.

March 28, 2022

Putin's Aggression Against Ukraine as a Trigger for the Flare-up of the Austrian Neutrality Debate

Russia's fabricated pretext for war, Russian use of disinformation to distract and deflect responsibility and eventually Russia's invasion of Ukraine could become the turning point for Austria's security policy. Parliamentary groups discussed Austria's position in the field of tension between neutrality, NATO accession and the EU army.

March 23, 2022

Naturalizations in Austria on the Rise Again Due to Descendants of Nazi Victims

Naturalizations in Austria are on the rise again, mainly due to the large number of descendants of victims of nazi persecution who applied for citizenship thanks to the amendment to Austria's Citizenship Act. Read more about this increase in naturalizations.

February 17, 2022

Armenia and Austria Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Foreign Minister Schallenberg is visiting Armenia in an attempt to strengthen bilateral ties. Read about Austrian-Armenian relations and Schallenberg's trip, which includes meetings with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

February 2, 2022

Interpol Secretary General in Vienna: "Dangers to internal security in Europe originating on other continents"

The Secretary General of Interpol, Jürgen Stock, was in Vienna to meet with Interior Minister Karner to discuss security issues and the upcoming 100th anniversary of Interpol. Read about their meeting and the upcoming General Assembly in Vienna.

January 28, 2022

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović Meets with Schallenberg

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović recently met with Foreign Minister Schallenberg in Vienna. Read about their discussion of various human rights issues.

December 20, 2021

Priorities of Austrian Foreign Policy in the Face of Numerous Global Challenges in 2022

The Foreign Policy Committee of the Austrian National Council recently met to discuss some of the major global challenges going into 2022. Read which issues they discussed and Austria's stance on them.

December 15, 2021

Naturalizations in Austria Up 21.1% Year on Year in the First Three Quarters of 2021

In the first nine months of 2021, Austrian citizenship was granted to 7,676 persons, including 1,131 persons residing abroad. With 368 naturalizations, the United States ranks fourth. Find out which other countries the new citizens come from.

November 26, 2021

November Pogroms: Remembrance Event of the Turkish-Jewish Synagogue in Zirkusgasse

Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig, representatives from the religious communities in Vienna, and others took part in a remembrance event for the November pogroms at the location of one of the synagogues that was burned down in 1938. Read more about the solemn event and what Mayor Ludwig said.

November 10, 2021

EU Support to Western Balkans as Repulsion against China and Turkey

European heads of state and government that make up the European Council, including Chancellor Kurz, met in Slovenia for informal talks and the Western Balkans Summit. In addition to other issues, the leaders discussed the accession of Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo to the EU. Read more about what Kurz and the EU said about the enlargement process.

October 6, 2021

Vienna Economic Forum: Ambassador of Romania Becomes New Member of the Ambassadors Committee

The Romanian Ambassador in Vienna, H.E. Emilian Hurezeanu, was welcomed as a new member of the Ambassador Committee of the Vienna Economic Forum.

September 9, 2021

Number of Naturalizations in Austria Continues to Rise Despite Covid

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, naturalizations in Austria have increased in the first half of 2021. During this time Austria granted citizenship to 5,057 people. In the same period, however, Vienna experienced a decrease in the number of naturalizations. Read more about the details of this trend and how they vary among the federal states of Austria.

September 3, 2021

Founding Event of the Crimea Platform: "Destabilization of Ukraine weakens the security of us all"

Amid talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shymal on the eve of Ukrainian Independence Day, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said International law is and remains a red line that must not be crossed.

August 24, 2021

Raab Criticizes Turkey's Withdrawal from Istanbul Convention

Austria's Women's Affairs Minister Raab sharply criticized Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention at a high-level EU conference with other EU Ministers for Women's Affairs. According to Raab, "Turkey's decision disregards and endangers the lives of millions of women and girls."

April 8, 2021

EU Council: Kurz Demands Fairer Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution

At the recent EU Council, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the other EU heads of government discussed the Covid-19 vaccine supply and distribution with the European Union. Kurz once again emphasized the need for a fairer distribution among member countries and is full of hope that Austria will soon receive more doses.

March 26, 2021

Schallenberg at FAC: "Turkey Keeps Taking Steps to Cause Trouble"

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and the other EU Foreign Ministers have met in Brussels for the Foreign Affairs Council. Sanctions against China for human rights violations, the EU relations with Turkey as well as the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic were on the agenda.

March 24, 2021

Naturalizations in Austria Decline Heavily

The number of naturalizations in Austria has also been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. After nine years of constantly rising numbers, naturalizations have decreased by 15.2 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year. Almost 9,000 people have gained Austrian citizenship, a third of them having Bosnian, Serbian or Turkish citizenship before naturalization.

February 12, 2021

European Council: Kurz Hopes for Rapid Approval of Vaccine

Prior to the European Council, Austria's Chancellor Kurz hopes for a rather fast approval process of a Covid-19 vaccine and is looking forward to a succession of close cooperation between the EU and the United States. Other relevant topics for the Council will be sanctions for Turkey, Brexit negotiations, EU climate targets, and the joint fight against terrorism.

December 10, 2020

Schallenberg Wants to Work Shoulder to Shoulder with United States

At the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU in Brussels the Foreign Ministers discussed transatlantic relations, the continuing tensions with Turkey and current trouble spots such as Ethiopia and Belarus. Austria's Minister Schallenberg hopes for improved relations between the United States and the EU in the near future.

December 7, 2020

Austrian Post Invests More Than EUR 100 Million in Turkish Subsidiary

Despite the critical tensions between the European Union and Turkey, the Austrian Post will be investing more than EUR 100 million in a Turkish subsidiary in the next five years. CEO Pölzl is confident that the separation of politics and the business aspect will be also possible in the future.

October 23, 2020

EU Council: Kurz Demands Better Coordination of Restrictions

At the EU Council of the heads of state and government, Chancellor Kurz demands better coordination of travel restrictions, quarantine periods and testing with regard to Covid-19. Other topics on the agenda were the Brexit negotiations, foreign relations, and climate protection.

October 16, 2020

Canadian Foreign Minister Visits Austria

The Canadian Foreign Minister Champagne visited Austria to conduct meetings with UN Organizations as well as with Chancellor Kurz and Foreign Minister Schallenberg. The topics on the agenda were the CETA agreement, the Covid-19 pandemic and current foreign trouble spots.

October 15, 2020

Edtstadler Welcomes Progress in Accession Process of Western Balkan States

The European Commission has agreed on a financial package for economic integration of the Western Balkan states. The good developments in North Macedonia and Albania are not only welcomed by the European Union but also by Federal Minister Edtstadler.

October 8, 2020

European Council Decides on Sanctions Against Belarus

The European Council which was attended by the heads of the 27 member countries decided on sanctions against Belarus as well as a threat of sanctions against Turkey. Chancellor Kurz, Autria's representative at the Council, is satisfied with the two-day long discussions.

October 5, 2020

Joint Statement by Greece and Austria

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Austrian Chancellor Kurz have issued a joint statement that deals with European refugee policy and the ongoing dispute with Turkey over the natural gas deposit in the Mediterranean.

September 9, 2020

Investigations About Turkish Espionage in Austria

Following the riots of Turkish activists in Vienna, Austria's Interior Minister Nehammer set up a task force that investigates the alleged influence of the Turkish secret service. These allegations have materialized to some extent and were presented at a press conference.

September 1, 2020

Schallenberg: "The EU Has Reached a Turning Point in the Relations With Turkey"

Austria's Foreign Minister Schallenberg explains the current relationship between the European Union and Turkey. The recent developments in the easter Mediterranean are testing the relation once again.

September 1, 2020

Number of Naturalisations Decreased in Austria

The number of naturalisations decreased by one fifth in the first half of 2020. This might be due to the fewer party traffic during the COVID-19 lockdown which started in March.

August 25, 2020

New IOM Regional Director Renate Held Presents Credentials at UN Vienna

The new Permanent Representative of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to the United Nations, Renate Held, presented her credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna. The IOM has offices in 19 countries and territories in the "South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region" (SEEECA) including sub-regional offices in Central Asia and the Western Balkans.

July 22, 2020

Austria's Foreign Minister: Hagia Sophia To Be Turned Into a Mosque Is the Latest Link in a Chain of Provocations

Turkey is moving further and further away from European values and is simply not a reliable partner for Europe. The EU must conduct a policy towards Turkey with a strong edge and clear language, based on a solid foundation of values. The EU should also make a clear cut when it comes to accession negotiations.

July 13, 2020

Austrians Should Come Home - 3,500 So Far Repatriated in Emergency Flights

According to the magazine "Kurier" and the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), about 3,500 Austrians who were stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic have meanwhile been flown back to Vienna in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and three airlines.

March 22, 2020

COVID-19 Fear: 750 Austrians Brought back Home by Plane

According to the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), about 750 Austrians who were stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic have been flown back to Vienna in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and two airlines. It is not clear who will bear the costs.

March 18, 2020

Crisis Between Athens and Ankara: Greek Prime Minister in Vienna

Thousands of refugees still hope to enter the EU from Turkey. Athens is therefore strengthening its border management, seeking support from the EU and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis travelled to Vienna.

March 11, 2020

Vienna Welcomes New Ambassadors from Turkey, Kosovo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Chad and Equatorial Guinea

Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen welcomed the six newly accredited Ambassadors of the Republic of Kosovo, the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of Chad, the Republic of Guinea and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Austria to the Presidential Chancellery of the Vienna Imperial Palace for the presentation of their letters of accreditation.

February 26, 2020

Portrait: Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Austria, H.E. Mr. Ozan Ceyhun

The new Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Austria, H.E. Mr. Ozan Ceyhun presented Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen with his letter of accreditation at the Vienna Hofburg.

February 26, 2020

Turkey: Schallenberg Calls for an End to EU Candidate Status

The meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg focused on the Turkish military offensive in Northern Syria. In the run-up to the meeting, Foreign Minister Schallenberg emphasised that the military action was "simply wrong" and that it was now the EU's turn to take clear decisions.

October 16, 2019