Austrian Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil warned on the expansion of influence from Turkey and Saudi Arabia in the states of the Western Balkans.

The EU influence in the states of the Western Balkans is declining, and at the same time Turkey and Saudi Arabia extend their influences in Albania, Kosovo and Serbia, stated Doskozil to the German based newspaper Welt.

He assessed it about hidden Islamization.

“For this reason, according to my opinion, it would not be justified that Turkey, within NATO missions increases number of its troops in the Balkans,” underlined Doskozil.

Austria within the Peace Partnership Program has around 700 soldiers at the NATO missions in the Balkans.

Since Ankara, because of the criticism from Vienna on the politics of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, blocks further participation of Austria at Peace Partnership Program activities, that could lead to decrease of numbers of Austrian soldiers and at the same time there are indicators that Turkey would try to “fill in” those gaps, Welt pointed out.

Austrian Defense Minister urged Germany and other countries to increase their engagement in the region, as stronger influence of Turkey is not in the interest of Europeans.