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Visit to Turkish association makes big waves

SP Mayor Martin Staudinger (left) and SPÖ candidate Halil Calim (right) were guests at a controversial association.(Bild: Screenshot facebook.com/Vorarlberg TÜRK Kültür ve Spor Derneği)

Hart's SP mayor Martin Staudinger and Halil Calim, SPÖ candidate in the regional elections, went vote-catching at an offshoot of the Turkish right-wing extremist ATF. This caused outrage, particularly among the ÖVP and NEOS. 

A visit by Martin Staudinger, the mayor of Hard, to a sports and cultural association also based in Hard caused a stir. This was the Austrian branch of the Turkish right-wing extremist "Avrupa Türk Federasyona" (ATF), the umbrella organization of the Grey Wolves. The latter are considered one of the largest right-wing extremist organizations in Europe - but are not banned in Austria.