List of Austrian ambassadors to Turkey explained

The Ambassador of Austria to Turkey is an officer of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria and the head of the Embassy of the Republic of Austria to the Republic of Turkey. The ambassador and her staff resides in Ankara.^[1]

There are honorary consuls in Antakya, Antalya, Bodrum, Bursa, Edirne, Gaziantep, Izmir, and Mersin, as well as a consulate general in Istanbul.

The post of Austrian Ambassador to Turkey is currently held by Gabriele Juen, incumbent since 23 January 2023.^[2]

History

See main article: Austria-Turkey relations. Diplomatic relations between Austria and Turkey date back to the late 15th century, marked by initial encounters between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. Starting in 1547, Habsburg emperors intermittently dispatched ambassadors to Constantinople. By the 18th century, the number of Habsburg consulates in the Ottoman Empire had grown to 101, with 19 located in present-day Turkey.^[3] Empress Maria Theresa's establishment of the Oriental Languages Academy in 1754 underscored the significance of relations with the Ottomans, training diplomats in languages including Ottoman Turkish. A notable graduate, Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, authored a seminal ten-volume history of the Ottoman Empire.

In the 19th century, diplomatic, economic, scientific, and cultural relations between the two empires intensified. Austrian Lloyd emerged as a major shipping company in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. The Austrian St. George's Hospital and College were established in Istanbul in 1872 and 1882, respectively, and archaeological excavations at Ephesus commenced in 1895. Following World War I and the subsequent dissolution of both empires, diplomatic relations were reestablished. In 1924, Austria and Turkey signed a friendship treaty, formalizing their diplomatic engagement.^[4] Austrian architects, notably Clemens Holzmeister, played a significant role in the development of modern Ankara, designing key buildings such as the Parliament Building and various ministries. Since 1964, bilateral agreements have facilitated the employment of thousands of Turkish workers by Austrian companies. Today, approximately 270,000 people of Turkish descent reside in Austria, contributing to cultural dialogue and bilateral relations.^[5]

List of representatives

Representatives of the Habsburg Monarchy to the Ottoman Empire

Appointment	Name	Remarks	Appointed by		Left the post
1510	Frederico di Strassoldo	envoy	Maximilian I	Selim I	1511
1530	Benedikt Kuripečič	envoy	Ferdinand I	Suleyman I
1554	Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq	Envoy and ambassador	Ferdinand I	Suleyman I	1562
	David Ungnad	Messenger and Ambassador	Maximilian II	Selim II	1578
	Johann Joachim von Sinzendorf	Envoy,[6]	Rudolf II	Murad III
	Adam Freiherr zu Herberstein	envoy		Ahmed I	1609
	Hermann Czernin von Chudenitz	envoy	Matthias		1618
	Philipp Ludwig Wenzel von Sinzendorf	Ambassador	Leopold I	Mustafa II	1701
	Leopold Mamuca della Torre		Leopold I	Mustafa II	1703
	Leopold von Talmann		Joseph I	Ahmed III	1711
	Anselm Franz von Fleischmann		Charles VI	Ahmed III	1716
	Damian Hugo, Count of Virmont		Charles VI	Ahmed III	27 March 1720
	Josef von Dirling	[7]	Charles VI	Ahmed III	14 July 1728
	Ludwig von Talmann		Charles VI	Ahmed III	18 July 1737
18. July 1737 to August 11, 1740: interruption of relations
	Anton Corfiz Ulfeldt	(* 1699; † 1760) Grand Ambassador	Maria Theresa	Mahmud I	20 October 1740
	Anton Corfiz Ulfeldt	Ambassador	Maria Theresa	Mahmud I	4 May 1741
	Heinrich von Penckler		Maria Theresa	Mahmud I	31 January 1754
	Josef von Schwachheim		Maria Theresa	Osman III	16 January 1762
	Heinrich von Penckler		Maria Theresa	Mustafa III	5 June 1766
	Franz Anton Brognard		Maria Theresa	Mustafa III	22 June 1769
	Josef von Heinrich	envoy	Maria Theresia	Mustafa III
	Johann Amadeus von Thugut	(* 1736 in Linz, † 1818 in Vienna)	Maria Theresa	Mustafa III	27 August 1776
	Emanuel of Tassara	Envoy, business manager	Maria Theresa	Mustafa III
	Peter Philipp von Herbert-Rathkeal	(* 1735 in Constantinople)	Joseph II	Abdulhamid I	9 February 1788
9 February 1788 to September 16, 1791: Relationships broken as a result of the Austro-Turkish War (1788–1791)
	Bartholomew of Testa	Envoy [8]	Leopold II	Selim III
	Peter Philipp von Herbert-Rathkeal		Leopold II	Selim III	20 February 1802
	Bartholomäus von Testa	Envoy	Leopold II	Selim III
	Ignaz Lorenz von Stürmer		Franz II	Selim III	10 March 1818
	Rudolf von Lützow	(1780-1858),	Franz II	Mahmud II	31 July 1822
	Franz von Ottenfels-Gschwind	(1778-1851)	Franz II	Mahmud II	2 October 1832
	Bartholomäus von Stürmer		Franz II	Mahmud II	24 April 1850
	Eduard von Klezl	(1805-1874), Envoy	Franz II	Mahmud II
	Karl Ludwig von Bruck		Franz Joseph I.	Abdülmecid I	21 January 1855
	August von Koller	(1805-1883)	Franz Joseph I.	Abdülmecid I	12 October 1855
	Anton von Prokesch-Osten	Envoy, From 27 July 1867 Ambassador	Franz Joseph I.	Abdülmecid I	3 November 1871
	Emanuel von Ludolf	(1823 in Linz - 1898 in Vercelli, Piemont)	Franz Joseph I.	Abdülaziz	15 March 1874
	Franz Zichy zu Zich und von Vásonykeö	Ambassador[9]	Franz Joseph I.	Abdülaziz	26 November 1879
	Heinrich von Calice	(* 1831; † 1912) Ambassador	Franz Joseph I.	Abdul Hamid II	22 September 1906
	Johann von Pallavicini	Ambassador	Franz Joseph I.	Abdul Hamid II	11 November 1918

Representatives of the Republic of Austria to the Republic of Turkey

Appointment[10]	Name[11]	Remarks	Appointed by	Accredited to	Left the post
20 November 1924	August Kral		Michael Hainisch	Mustafa Kemal Atatürk	April 1932
17 October 1933	Karl Buchberger		Wilhelm Miklas	Mustafa Kemal Atatürk	1938
12 March 1938 to 27 November 1946: Diplomatic relations were disrupted due to the Anschluss, during which Austria ceased to exist as an independent nation until the end of World War II.
27 November 1946	Clemens Wildner		Karl Renner	İsmet İnönü	1951
6 March 1952	Erich Bielka		Theodor Körner	Celâl Bayar	1958
5 May 1958	Karl Hartl		Adolf Schärf	Celâl Bayar	1963
5 December 1963	Olivier Resseguier		Adolf Schärf	Cemal Gürsel	1964
26 November 1965	Wolfgang Jungwirth		Franz Jonas	Cemal Gürsel	1968
21 November 1968	Franz Herbatschek	[12]	Franz Jonas	Cevdet Sunay	1975
1976	Heinz Laube		Rudolf Kirchschläger	Fahri Korutürk	1978
1979	Franz Wunderbaldinger		Rudolf Kirchschläger	Fahri Korutürk	1982
1983	Klaus Ziegler		Rudolf Kirchschläger	Kenan Evren	1988
1988	Friedrich Zanetti		Kurt Waldheim	Kenan Evren	1992
1993	Johann Plattner		Thomas Klestil	Turgut Özal	1997
6 February 1998	Ralph Scheide	[13]	Thomas Klestil	Süleyman Demirel	2001
21 December 2001	Marius Calligaris	[14]	Thomas Klestil	Ahmet Necdet Sezer	2006
3 August 2006	Heidemaria Gürer	[15]	Heinz Fischer	Ahmet Necdet Sezer	2011
18 January 2012	Klaus Wölfer	[16]	Heinz Fischer	Abdullah Gül	2017
11 September 2017	Ulrike Tilly	[17]	Alexander Van der Bellen	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan	2019
24 October 2019	Johannes Wimmer	[18]	Alexander Van der Bellen	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan	2023
23 January 2023	Gabriele Juen		Alexander Van der Bellen	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Notes

Also served as Ambassador of Austria to Persia and Iraq (1933-1938).^[19]

See also

• Austria-Turkey relations
• List of ambassadors of Turkey to Austria
• Ottoman-Habsburg Wars

References

1. Web site: Österreich . Außenministerium der Republik . Österreichische Stellen . www.bmeia.gv.at . de-AT.
2. Web site: Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey : Austrian ambassador presents her credentials to President Erdoğan . www.tccb.gov.tr.
3. Web site: Österreich . Außenministerium der Republik . Geschichte . www.bmeia.gv.at . de-AT.
4. Servet ÖNCÜ . Ali . 2013-01-01 . Türkiye Cumhuriyeti İle Avusturya Cumhur . Journal of Turkish Studies . 8 . 5 . 531–557 . 10.7827/turkishstudies.4559 . 1308-2140. free .
5. Web site: Günay . Cengiz . Übleis-Lang . Magdalena . Bonat . Manuel Julius . 2024-07-29 . The Turkish Diaspora in Austria . CATS Network . SWP Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik.
6. Accompanied by Salomon Schweigger
7. Josef von Dirling was subordinate to the peace negotiations in Karlowitz and to the embassy in Öttingen, became secretary of the war chancellery of General Marshal Guido Starhemberg, then the first government secretary in Brussels, and went to Paris in 1716 with Josef Lothar Königsegg, 1719 as Legation Secretary with Great Ambassador Virmond to Constantinople and stayed there after his departure. In 1721 he became a resident. After his return in early 1729, he joined the Imperial War Council.
8. Bartholomew of Testa (* 23 September 1723 Belgrade near Constantinople; † Constantinople 20 March 1809 in Constantinople)
9. Franz Graf Zichy von Vasonykeö (1818-1900) was a son of Istvan Graf Zichy von Vasonykeö and Cäcilia Herrin von Stubenberg
10. Web site: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs . 31 December 1967 . Yıllık . Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate General For Diplomatic Archives.
11. Web site: Österreich . Außenministerium der Republik . Die Botschaft . www.bmeia.gv.at . de-AT.
12. Web site: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs . 1968 . Belleteni . Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate General For Diplomatic Archives.
13. Web site: Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-02-06 . www.hri.org.
14. Web site: Anadolu Agency: News in English, 01-12-21 . www.hri.org.
15. Web site: Avusturya Büyükelçisi vedaya hazırlanıyor . www.aa.com.tr.
16. Web site: Abdullah GÜL : Avusturya Büyükelçisinden Güven Mektubu . www.abdullahgul.gen.tr.
17. Web site: Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey : Austrian Ambassador Presents Her Credentials to President Erdoğan . www.tccb.gov.tr.
18. Web site: Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey : Austrian ambassador presents his credentials to President Erdoğan . www.tccb.gov.tr.
19. Web site: 1922 Carl Buchberger: Memoirs of My Years in Albania, 1911 - 1914 . www.albanianhistory.net.