Vienna Bars Turkish Economy Minister From Attending Failed Coup Anniversary

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Austrian Foreign Ministry prohibited Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci from entering the country on the occasion of commemorative events of the 2016 Turkish failed coup attempt citing security concerns, a ministry spokesperson said Monday.

"There is a danger to public order and security in Austria [in case of the visit]," the spokesperson told the ORF radio, adding that the minister would be welcome for a bilateral visit but not for a public appearance dedicated to the anniversary of the botched coup attempt in Turkey.

The spokesperson added that Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz condemned the coup attempt but, at the same time, he denounced the human rights situation in Turkey.

On Friday, the Dutch Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the visit of Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes or any other government official to the Netherlands for commemorative events of the 2016 Turkish failed coup attempt would be undesirable in the light of the current state of bilateral relations.

On July 15, 2016, a military coup attempt took place in Turkey. Over 240 people were killed and an estimated 2,000 were wounded in its undertakings, which was suppressed the following day. Over 40,000 Turkish citizens were arrested and about 145,000 people, many among them civil servants, security personnel and academics, were fired from their positions amid ongoing investigations.