Turkey's EU minister warns Austria about 'far right'

ANKARA

Turkey’s EU affairs minister on Sunday lashed out at Austrian Prime Minister Christian Kern for promoting "extreme rightist and racist" sentiment with his anti-Turkish statements.

Omer Celik took to Twitter to say extreme rightists' coming into power in key EU countries would bear major problems.

"In fact, Austrian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister are using more extreme expressions about Turkey than extreme right wingers," he said.

Pointing out that those who made "more extreme" speeches in order to balance the moves of extreme rightists lost in the elections, Celik continued: "Those who use similar expressions about Turkey to compete with extreme rightists have lost or weakened in the elections across Europe.

"Especially the anti-Turkish remarks of the Austrian Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister on all EU grounds are making them lose. The people who produce anti-Turkish and Islamophobic politics in order to compete with the extreme rightists are making extreme right and racism stronger."

Stating that all the mainstream politicians in Europe who competed with extreme rightists in the same lane instead of fighting them lost, Celik said the extreme right movements threatened the EU and peace.

Reporting by Ecenur Colak;Writing by Sibel Ugurlu