Ankara summons Austria envoy over age of consent

8/15/2016 2:14:13 AM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Turkish flags hang on the facade of the damaged building of police headquarter in Ankara on July 18, 2016. AFP

Ankara: Turkey's foreign ministry has summoned the Austrian charge d'affaires in protest at what it said was a "false" news ticker at Vienna airport about the age of consent, further damaging ties between the two countries.

Ankara voiced fury at the headline broadcast on screens at the airport which said Turkey allowed sex with children under the age of 15.

"This headline tarnishes the image of Turkey, and is false," a Turkish diplomat said after the Austrian enovy was summoned to the ministry on Saturday.

The Turkish constitutional court last month ruled in favour of removing an article in the criminal code which characterises all sexual acts with a child of less 15 years as "sexual abuse".

Relations between Ankara and Vienna have taken a dive in recent days, with several Austrian ministers speaking out against Turkey's longstanding bid to join the European Union, particularly in the wake of the massive purge that followed the July 15 coup bid.

Austrian Defence Minister Hans-Peter Doskozil has compared Turkey to a "dictatorship", while Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu descried Austria as the "capital of radical racism".

AFP

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