By Askin Kiyagan
VIENNA (AA) - Turks in Austria should be included in efforts to address their needs, the head of Turkey's Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities said Friday.
“We made it clear that otherwise, any solution brought forth will be decidedly against the sociology of the Turkish society living here [in Austria],” Abdullah Eren told Anadolu Agency during a visit to Vienna to hold discussions with Austrian officials on issues faced by the country’s Turkish minority.
Eren referred to “various religious, social issues” that made everyday life “significantly more difficult” for the nearly 300,000-strong local Turkish minority, including the employment of imams, restrictions on dual citizenship and a recent debate on the public use of religious symbols.
He underlined that the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities was ready for all forms of cooperation with the Austrian government and Turkish non-governmental organizations in the country.