Turkish, Austrian foreign ministers talk over phone

By Ercan Canbolat

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke to his Austrian counterpart Karin Kneissl over the phone Monday.

The call took place at Kneissl’s request, according to diplomatic sources. No details were available on their conversation.

Last week, Austria’s center-right People's Party (OVP) reached a deal with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) to form a coalition government after eight weeks of intense negotiations. On Saturday, they pledged a tougher approach to migration and stronger domestic security measures.

On Sunday, Ankara criticized a call by Austria’s new government for a halt to Turkey’s EU accession negotiations, saying it shows a discriminatory attitude that ignores Turkey’s rights.

“This unfortunate and short-sighted statement in Austria’s new government program unfortunately confirms our concerns about a political movement based on discrimination,” said a Foreign Ministry statement.