Erdogan gives orders to expel envoys of 10 nations
Print Edition
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday told his foreign minister to expel the ambassadors of 10 countries, including Germany and the United States, who had appealed for the release of a jailed businessman.
The envoys issued a highly unusual joint statement last Monday saying the continued detention of Parisian-born philanthropist and activist Osman Kavala “cast a shadow” over Turkey.
“Together, the embassies of Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America believe a just and speedy resolution to his case must be in line with Turkey’s international obligations and domestic laws. Noting the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on the matter, we call on Turkey to secure his urgent release,” the ambassadors said.
The escalating row with the Western countries, most of which are also NATO allies, caps a torrid week for Turkey in which it was added to a global money-laundering and terrorism-financing blacklist and its currency plunged over fears of economic mismanagement and the risk of hyperinflation.
“I have ordered our foreign minister to declare these 10 ambassadors as persona non grata as soon as possible,” Erdogan said, using a diplomatic term meaning the first step before expulsion.
“They must leave here the day they no longer know Turkey,” he said, accusing them of “indecency.”
Several European countries said late on Saturday they had received no official notification from Turkey.
“We are currently in intensive consultation with the nine other countries concerned,” the German Foreign Ministry said.
“Our ambassador has not done anything that would justify the expulsion,” Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman Trude Maseide told media.
The United States was aware of the reports and was seeking clarity from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a State Department spokesperson said.
Kavala, 64, has been in jail since 2017 on charges linked to 2013 anti-government protests and a failed military coup in 2016. On Saturday, Erdogan described Kavala as the “agent in Turkey” of Hungary-born American billionaire George Soros. Kavala was acquitted of charges linked with the Gezi protests last year only to be re-arrested before he could return home over alleged links to the 2016 coup plot.
Erdogan faces multiple challenges at home and abroad, with global financial misconduct watchdog FATF placing Turkey under surveillance for failing to properly combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
Erdogan passed anti-terror laws but they failed to impress FATF and critics said the new rules mostly targeted Turkish NGOs that promote pro-Kurdish causes and human rights.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
