Austria and Turkey are looking to strengthen their economic, trade, and cultural ties, according to a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers in Vienna on Friday. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu expressed his gratitude to Austria for its support following the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey in February, which killed more than 50,000 people across 11 provinces. The quakes also affected around 14 million people in Turkey and thousands in northern Syria. The two foreign ministers also discussed developments related to Ukraine, Syria, and the South Caucasus.
Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent years due to the right-wing agenda of former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. However, with Kurz’s departure from politics at the end of 2021 due to a corruption investigation, there has been a positive impact on Austria-Turkey relations. Turkey’s role as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has also brought international attention to Ankara, with the Vienna administration showing support for Turkey’s efforts to achieve peace by participating in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in March 2022 to discuss diplomatic solutions to the Ukraine conflict.
The positive developments in bilateral relations have also been supported by Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s phone calls with President Erdoğan before and after his visits to Kyiv and Moscow in April. The improvement in relations between Austria and Turkey bodes well for increased economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Turkey has a growing economy with a population of around 84 million people, making it an attractive market for Austrian companies looking to expand their operations. Additionally, the Turkish government has been implementing policies aimed at improving the business climate and attracting foreign investment. As the two countries work towards enhancing their relations, it is likely that we will see increased trade and investment between them in the near future.
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