Erdogan requests that the ambassadors of 10 countries

After calling for the release of a Turkish dissident, Erdogan requests that the ambassadors of 10 countries be declared "undesirable"

Erdogan said that "these ambassadors must know and understand Turkey, otherwise they should leave our country"

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday ordered his foreign minister to declare ambassadors of 10 countries "persona non grata", saying that they "lack tact."

Erdogan said that he had ordered the Foreign Ministry to consider the ambassadors of 10 countries - including the United States, Germany and France - "persona non grata", against the background of their call for the release of opposition businessman Osman Kavala.

Erdogan added - in a speech during the opening of a series of service projects in the state of Eskisehir - that he had instructed the Foreign Minister to declare the ten ambassadors persona non grata as soon as possible, noting that these ambassadors must "know and understand Turkey, otherwise they should leave our country."

Last Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of the United States, Germany, Denmark, Finland and France, as well as the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Norway and New Zealand, because of a statement on the Kavala case.

The embassies of the aforementioned countries in Ankara published a statement - via social networking sites - in which they said that the ongoing case against Kavala casts a shadow over democracy and the rule of law in Turkey, calling for his release.

The embassies said in the statement, "The continued delay in his trial, including the merging of different cases and the creation of others after a previous acquittal, casts doubt on the respect for democracy, the rule of law and transparency in the Turkish judicial system."

Reactions

Several European countries were quick to respond to the Turkish president's statements.

Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands - whose ambassadors signed the joint statement - said this evening that they had not received any official notification from Turkey.

As for the spokeswoman for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trode Maaside, said - to the media in her country - that "our ambassador did nothing to justify the expulsion," pledging to continue pressure on Turkey on human rights and democracy.

"We are currently conducting extensive consultations with the other nine countries concerned," the German Foreign Ministry said.

The US and French embassies, the White House and the US State Department - so far - did not respond to requests for comment.

Kavala has been imprisoned in Turkey for four years without a conviction, despite calls by the European Court of Human Rights for his release.

Kavala was acquitted last year 2020 of charges related to nationwide protests in 2013, but the ruling was overturned this year and the charges were merged with those in another case linked to the failed coup attempt in 2016, as reported by Reuters.

In response to the statement; Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu said - in previous statements - that Turkey is a state of law that enjoys democracy, and stressed - on Twitter - that ambassadors submitting a recommendation and proposal to the judiciary in an existing case is unacceptable, and added, "Your recommendation and proposal casts doubt on your understanding. law and democracy.

The Turkish President stressed that his country will not give up its rights at all after it was excluded from the project to manufacture the F-35 fighter jet, as he threatened to expel the ambassadors of 10 countries in response to their calls for the release of an opposition businessman.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of 10 countries to Ankara, including the United States, Germany and France, over a joint statement it issued regarding the trial of Turkish activist Osman Kavala, accused of involvement in the failed.