Thousands of Turkish immigrants took to the streets in Vienna on Sunday to celebrate the re-election of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, drawing sharp criticism from the right and concern on the left.

The Turkish news agency reported that most of the 100,000 people of Turkish descent living in Austria voted for Erdogan (74 percent) on Sunday evening, as is the case in other countries where people of Turkish descent live. Media reported that hundreds took to the streets after Erdogan’s victory, stopping traffic and, in some cases, using fireworks.

“When, after the controversial victory of the Turkish President, thousands of people suddenly paralyze traffic and public order to celebrate their ‘president’, we are witnessing a further exacerbation of the situation,” said Karl Maher, head of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Vienna, on Monday.

Some of the people who took to the streets were accused of using the license plates of the far-right gang Gray Wolves in Turkey.

Similar statements were made by the far right.

“If Erdoğan is a great president, you have to live in the country where he rules. Go to Turkey with these people,” said Dominic Kneipp, head of the Viennese FPÖ.

Among the reasons for Erdogan’s popularity in the Turkish diaspora are the following: experts | Poor integration and discrimination.

“Nationalism imported from abroad is the opposite of integration and has no place with us,” said Integration Minister Susan Raab of the ruling conservative ÖVP party.