Christian Steiner, Austria's chargé d'affaires in Ankara, addressed EU ambassadors at a Europe Day luncheon hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül on 9 May 2006, calling on Türkiye to ratify and fully implement the Adaptation Protocol to the Ankara Agreement without delay.
Steiner said accession negotiations had deepened political and technical ties considerably, and he expressed confidence that substantive talks could advance before Austria's EU presidency concluded. He also extended an invitation for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to attend the upcoming EU-Latin American Summit as a special guest of the Austrian presidency.
The envoy highlighted key political criteria Türkiye would need to meet, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression, judicial independence, minority protections, and safeguards against torture. He noted that proposed anti-terror legislation had drawn concern from observers who feared it could curtail civil liberties.
Steiner said the EU fully backed Türkiye's territorial integrity and its counter-terrorism efforts, while expressing interest in Ankara's plans to reduce regional inequalities and expand opportunities for all citizens, including those of Kurdish background. He closed by urging swift resolution of technical issues surrounding EU financial assistance to Türkiye.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.