The President of Turkey Tayyip Erdogan said on October 23, 2021, that he had told his foreign ministry to expel the ambassadors of the United States and 9 Western countries for demanding the release of philanthropist Osman Kavala. Seven of the named ambassadors represent Turkey’s NATO allies. The expulsions announced by Turkey, if carried out further, will open the deepest rift with the West in Erdogan’s 19 years of power.
On the announcement made by the Turkish President, a US. State Department spokesperson had said that it was aware of the reports and was seeking clarity from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Erdogan had previously mentioned that he plans on meeting US President Joe Biden at a summit of G20 major economies in Rome.
The expulsion of ten ambassadors is a sign of the authoritarian drift of the Turkish government. We will not be intimidated.
— David Sassoli (@EP_President) October 23, 2021
Freedom for Osman Kavala.
Who is Osman Kavala?
Osman Kavala is a philanthropist who is a contributor to numerous civil society groups. He has been in prison for four years, charged with the financing of the nationwide protests in 2013 against President Erdogan and with involvement in a failed coup in 2016.
Kavala has remained in detention while his latest trial continues and denies the charges.
Osman Kavala was acquitted in 2020 of the charges related to the 2013 protests, however, the ruling was overturned in 2021 and combined with charges related to the coup attempt.
Why Turkey is banning envoys of 10 western countries?In a joint statement on October 18, 2021, the ambassadors of Denmark, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Finland, and the United States had called for a just and speedy resolution to Kavala’s case, and for his ‘urgent release’. The ambassadors of these countries were summoned by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey which called the statement irresponsible. President Erdogan in a speech said, “I gave the necessary order to our foreign minister and said what must be done: These 10 ambassadors must be declared persona non grata (undesirable) at once. You will sort it out immediately.” He further went on to say, “They will know and understand Turkey. The day they do not know and understand Turkey, they will leave.” Six of the nations demanding Kavala’s release are EU members, including France and Germany. The President of the European Parliament tweeted: “The expulsion of 10 ambassadors is a sign of the authoritarian drift of the Turkish Government. We will not be intimidated. Freedom for Osman Kavala.” |
What embassies are saying on expulsion by Turkey?
Reportedly, de-escalation is now possible given Turkey has now made its stance very clear, and given a potential diplomatic fallout from such a move ahead of the G20 and UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow. No instructions are yet given to the embassies.
Norway has said that its embassy has not yet received any notification from Turkish authorities. The Ministry’s Chief Spokesperson said, “Our ambassador has not done anything that warrants expulsion. We will call on Turkey to comply with democratic standards and the rule of law to which the country committed itself under the European Human Rights Convention.”
The Foreign Ministry of New Zealand said that it will not comment until it hears anything formal through the official channels. It further added that New Zealand values its relationship with Turkey.
Foreign Minister of Denmark Jeppe Kofod said that his ministry has not received any official notification, but was in contact with its friends and allies. He said in a statement that Denmark will continue to guard the common values and principles.
European Court of Human Rights calls for Kavala’s release
The European Court of Human Rights had called for Kavala’s release two years ago. It said that there was no reasonable suspicion that he had committed an offence and that his detention had been intended to silence him.
The Council of Europe, which oversees the implementation of ECHR decisions, had said that it will start infringement proceedings against Turkey if Kavala is not released.
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