Over mosque closure, Turkey to spurn Austria’s EU helm

Excerpt:

Turkey’s EU Ministry will not visit Austria before or during its upcoming EU Presidency, in protest of its decision last week to shut down seven mosques, Turkey’s EU Minister said on Monday.

Due to its decision, including the expulsion of 40 imams, Turkey will ignore Austria’s six-month turn at the EU helm, set to start on July 1, Omer Celik told news channel Haber Turk.

“The Austrian government is a bomb ready to explode for the future of the Europe,” Celik said of the decision.

Celik stressed: “Austria does not have an approach that represents EU values. In addition, Turkey will take serious steps against Austria’s decision.”

Accusing Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of adopting far-right rhetoric, Celik said: “He is not taken seriously in Europe.”

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