Austria bars Turkish economy minister over rally plans

Austria has banned Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci from entering the country to take part in a political march marking the anniversary of a failed military coup against the Ankara government.

“He has been barred because his visit was not planned as part of a bilateral exchange, but was about his public appearance at an event marking the coup attempt,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Thomas Schnoell told media on Monday.

Schnoell explained that the minister’s attendance at the rally would have threatened “public order.”

Austria’s ban comes days after the Dutch government warned Turkey against sending its deputy prime minister, Tugrul Turkes, to address a rally in the eastern Netherlands this week to mark the anniversary of last July’s abortive coup.

European Union countries, along with international rights groups, have been critical of Turkey’s massive post-coup crackdown, which has seen more than 50,000 people behind bars pending trial.

Ankara has also suspended or dismissed some 150,000, including soldiers, teachers and civil servants, over alleged links with US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government blames for the July 2016 coup attempt.

Earlier this year, several EU countries hosting large Turkish populations, including Austria and the Netherlands, banned pro-Ankara rallies ahead of a controversial referendum in April on granting sweeping powers to the president.

Turkish ministers had been heading to Europe to whip up support for a ‘Yes’ vote among millions of Turkey’s voters who live abroad.

Some 360,000 people of Turkish origin live in Austria.

Many of the Turkish nationals living across Europe are believed to be supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Expat votes are said to have significantly helped Erdogan win the April referendum on overhauling the constitution.

The EU has warned Ankara that such constitutional amendments equal forfeiting Turkey’s EU membership request.

Turkey keeps up post-coup purge

In another development on Monday, Ankara issued arrest warrants for more than 70 university staff over their alleged links to Gulen, the Analdolu news agency reported.

Under the orders, some 42 of the personnel from the universities of Bogazici University and Medeniyet in Istanbul have been taken into custody, the report added.

Anadolu further said the detainees are being grilled for using ByLock, an encrypted messaging app Ankara says was used by Gulen’s followers.

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