On June 29, Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister...

On June 29, Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel, in statement regarding the case of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, expressed his deep concern that "the execution of Ocalan could aggravate feelings and consequently prevent a political solution being found to the Kurd issue." The statement was issued after the announcement of the verdict against the leader of the PKK. Schuessel also reiterated his Government's "fundamental belief" that, as a general principle, "the death penalty should be abolished or at least not carried out."