The hope for peace in Ukraine is alive – also for Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), who recently came out of his conversation with Vladimir Putin in Moscow with rather pessimistic prospects (reported by eXXpress). Because Nehammer will soon meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is organizing the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. As the Federal Chancellery announced on Thursday, a bilateral meeting is planned on the sidelines of the NATO summit at the end of June. At the invitation of Spain, there will also be a working dinner in Madrid with the non-NATO members of the EU. Relations between Austria and Turkey are considered tense, but have recently improved.
The Federal Chancellery reported that telephone calls that have taken place between Nehammer and Erdogan in recent weeks have been about the Ukraine-Russia war and in particular the Turkish peace efforts and bilateral relations. “After my numerous talks with the Ukrainian President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy, the talks with the Russian President (Vladimir) Putin and also my phone calls with President Erdoğan, I am convinced that the Istanbul Process continues to be the best chance for peace in Europe” said Nehammer.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine are taking place in Istanbul. Like Russia and Ukraine, Turkey borders the Black Sea. The NATO member has good relations with both states and aims to find a balance between Russian and Ukrainian interests in its mediation activities. Turkey has condemned Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine in the UN General Assembly, but has not joined the western sanctions.
Relations between Austria and Turkey were strained for years. Hearty words have also been said in the past. Erdogan “cursed” Austria around 2021, when the federal government had the Israeli flag hoisted over the Federal Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry. The Turkish President criticized Nehammer as interior minister at the time for “anti-Turkish statements” out of “purely domestic political calculations”. Nehammer had previously criticized Turkey’s “inglorious role” in the Middle East conflict and personally accused Erdogan of “pouring oil on the fire”. After clashes between Turkish and Kurdish activists in Vienna in 2020, Nehammer expressed “absolutely no tolerance” for attempts to resolve Turkish conflicts on Austria’s streets. And the Turkish President of Parliament Mustafa Sentop remarked in an APA interview in September 2021 that “in addition to xenophobia, hostility towards Turkey and Islamophobia have become almost an integral part of Austrian politics”.
Because Austria has campaigned for the termination of the EU accession talks with Turkey, Ankara has blocked the NATO cooperation of the Austrian armed forces since 2016. There were also repeated issues with the approval of the archaeological excavations in Ephesus, in which Austrian archaeologists are involved problems. Turkey gave up these blockades in spring 2022. After a two-year break, Austrian archaeologists will be allowed to dig again in the ancient city of Ephesus from May. In April, Turkey agreed to an individual and tailor-made partnership program negotiated between Austria and NATO for the years 2021 to 2024. “Cooperation between Austria and NATO within the framework of the Partnership for Peace is again possible to the full extent,” the Foreign Ministry said.
