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Special envoys from the United States, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden called for the release of businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has moved to expel 10 Western ambassadors who have called for the release of an imprisoned civil society leader.
Seven of the ambassadors represent Turkey’s NATO allies. If the expulsion is implemented, it will open the deepest rift with the West during Erdogan’s 19 years in power.
“I have ordered our Minister of Foreign Affairs to declare these 10 ambassadors as unwelcome people as soon as possible,” Erdogan said on Saturday, referring to a term used in diplomacy to signify the first step before expulsion. He did not set a specific date.
The philanthropist Osman Kavala has been in prison since the end of 2017, accused of funding the national protests in 2013 and participating in the 2016 coup attempt. He denied the allegations.
“They must understand and understand Turkey,” Erdogan added, accusing the envoy of “indecency.”
“They must leave here on the day they no longer understand Turkey,” Erdogan said.
The envoys issued a highly unusual joint statement on Monday, stating that the continued detention of the Paris-born activist Osman Kavala “casts a shadow on Turkey”.
The United States, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden call for a “just and prompt settlement [Kavala’s] case”.
Imprisoned in 2017
Kavala has become a symbol of Erdogan’s total suppression launched after the attempted coup.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse in prison last week, Kavala said that he felt like Erdogan was trying to blame the domestic opposition to his rule of the past two years on a foreign conspiracy tool.
Kavala said on Friday that after Erdogan’s recent comments, he will no longer participate in the trial because a fair hearing is impossible.
The European Commission, Europe’s highest human rights monitoring body, issued a final warning to Turkey, requiring it to comply with the 2019 European Court of Human Rights order on the release of Kavala pending trial.
If Turkey fails to do so before the next meeting from November 30 to December 2, the Strasbourg-based committee can vote to initiate the first disciplinary proceedings against Ankara.
The President of the European Parliament David Sassoli wrote on Twitter: “The expulsion of 10 ambassadors is a sign of the dictatorship of the Turkish government. We will not be intimidated. The freedom of Ottoman Kavala.”
Erdogan was quoted as saying that the ambassador concerned would not release “bandits, murderers and terrorists” in his country. [İslam Yakut/Anadolu]“Autocratic Course”
A source from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that the 10 countries are negotiating with each other. German lawmakers called for a strong response.
“Erdogan’s unscrupulous behavior towards his critics has become increasingly unscrupulous,” Claudia Ross, vice president of the Bundestag, told dpa news agency. She said that Erdogan’s “authoritarian line must be challenged internationally” and demanded sanctions and a cessation of arms exports to Turkey.
The legislator and foreign policy expert Alexander Graf Lambsdorf said on Twitter: “It would be unwise and undiplomatic to expel 10 ambassadors, including representatives of many NATO allies in Germany and Turkey. And it will weaken the cohesion of the alliance.” “Erdogan may not be interested in this.”
Norway stated that its embassy has not received any notification from the Turkish authorities.
The ministry’s chief spokesperson, Trude Maaseide, said: “Our ambassador has not done anything that requires expulsion.” He added that Turkey knows Norway’s views very well.
“We will continue to call on Turkey to abide by the democratic standards and the rule of law that the country has promised to comply with under the European Convention on Human Rights,” Mased said.
The Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Koford said that his Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received any official notification, but is keeping in touch with his friends and allies.
“We will continue to defend our shared values and principles, as expressed in the joint statement,” he said in a statement.
Erdogan was quoted as saying on Thursday that these ambassadors will not release “bandits, murderers and terrorists” in their countries.
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