Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday that he ordered the expulsion of the envoys of ten countries, including the United States (US), after the diplomats called for the release of a jailed Turkish activist.
“These 10 ambassadors must be declared persona non grata at once,” Erdoğan said, adding that he had instructed his Foreign Minister on what must be done. “They must understand and know about Turkey; the day they don’t, they will go,” he noted.
The expelled diplomats were from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand, and the US.
In a joint statement last week, the embassies of the ten countries called for a “just and speedy resolution” to the trial of Turkish businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala, who has been held in detention for four years. The statement called on Turkey to “secure his urgent release,” noting that further delaying Kavala’s trial would “cast a shadow over respect for democracy, the rule of law, and transparency in the Turkish judiciary system.”
Kavala was arrested in 2017 over his alleged involvement in the 2016 failed coup against Erdoğan’s government. Erdoğan even accused Kavala of being responsible for the 2013 Gezi Park protests and funding anti-government organisations.
A supporter of political freedom and the role of civil society organisations, Kavala has significantly contributed to the establishment of several political, social, environmental, and cultural NGOs since the 1990s. He is also known for his strong backing of Turkey’s brand of secularism and his efforts to harmonise relations between the Turkish Muslim majority and non-Muslim minorities like Armenians and Kurds, something which landed him in trouble with Erdoğan’s government.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly called for the release of Kavala. In 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), urged Turkey to release him, saying that the arrest was meant to silence Kavala and that his arrest was not supported by any evidence of offence.
In September, the Council of Europe said it would start infringement proceedings against member-state Turkey in November if Kavala was not released.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Sunday that Turkey’s decision to declare the ambassadors as persona non grata was a “regrettable situation.” She added that the joint statement was meant to ensure that the ECHR’s decision calling for Kavala’s release is “respected and complied with.”
Meanwhile, a US State Department official said that Washington was seeking clarity from the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding the expulsions. On this topic, Norway’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted that the embassies had not received any notification from Turkish authorities. The German Foreign Ministry said the ten countries were consulting with one another on the next course of action.