Ankara  - Austrian President Heinz Fischer on Tuesday attacked legal moves to close down Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) saying the court case against the party was something that could not occur in Austria, the NTV private television station reported.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, Fischer said that Europe was watching the case closely.

He refused to be drawn on Austrian government proposals to offer Turkey something other than full-membership of the European Union instead saying that these issues will be decided once Turkey has fulfilled all the membership criteria.

Fischer arrived in Ankara Tuesday morning and laid a wreath at the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic.

On Wednesday Fischer is scheduled to visit the central Anatolian town of Kayseri where he will attend meetings of Austrian and Turkish businesspeople before heading for the tourist region of Cappadocia. (dpa)