Threats implemented. Unhappy with the call by several countries for the release of opponent Osman Kavala, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday that he had ordered the expulsion of ten ambassadors. “I ordered our Minister of Foreign Affairs to declare these ten ambassadors persona non grata as quickly as possible,” said the Head of State during a trip to central Turkey, without specifying the date on which diplomats will have to leave. On the other hand, we know which countries are concerned.
In a statement released Monday evening, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States called for a “just settlement. and quick of the affair ”Osman Kavala, Turkish businessman and patron who became one of the regime’s pet peeves, imprisoned for four years without trial. The next day, their ambassadors were summoned to the Foreign Ministry, the Turkish authorities judging their approach “unacceptable”. The Turkish head of state then brandished the threat of deportation on his return from an African tour on Thursday.
“Kavala is Soros’ agent in Turkey”
“From morning to night they (the diplomats) repeat: Kavala, Kavala … But the one you are talking about, Kavala, is Soros’ agent in Turkey,” President Erdogan said during a public meeting, once again saying reference to the American billionaire of Hungarian origin George Soros to whom he regularly compares the opponent. Imprisoned for four years without trial, Osman Kavala has been accused since 2013 by President Erdogan’s regime of wanting to destabilize Turkey.
A rare measure in international relations, declaring diplomats “persona non grata” opens the way for their expulsion or recall by their own country. “We are currently in intensive consultation with the other nine countries concerned,” the German Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday evening.
First reactions from the countries concerned
Among the first countries to react, on Saturday evening, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands as well as Germany announced that they had not received any official notification concerning their respective ambassadors at this stage. A little later, the United States did the same. “We are aware of this information and are seeking to know more from the Turkish Foreign Ministry,” a spokesperson for the US State Department said on Saturday.
“Our ambassador did nothing that could justify the expulsion,” said Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Trude Måseide, quoted by the NTB news agency, adding that her country “will continue to urge Turkey to adhere to democratic standards ”. “Rightly, the Dutch ambassador to Turkey called, among other things, to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. From now on, the 27 countries of the EU must rally to this, ”tweeted Labor MP Kati Piri.
Rich businessman and philanthropist
In December 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered the “immediate release” of Osman Kavala. In vain. At 64 years old, this major figure of civil society, wealthy businessman and philanthropist, born in Paris, was kept in detention at the beginning of October by an Istanbul court which considered “lacking new elements to bring him back into law. freedom “.
Osman Kavala, who has always denied the charges against him, will appear again on November 26. Originally arrested for his participation in the so-called Gezi anti-government movement in 2013, when Recep Tayyip Erdogan was prime minister, he was later charged with attempted coup d’état and espionage.
Turkey threatened with sanctions by Europe
In a recent interview, Osman Kavala considered that his detention allows the regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan to justify its “conspiracy theses”. “Considering that a fair trial is no longer possible in these circumstances, I think that it makes no sense for me to attend the hearings to come”, he announced Friday via his lawyers.
The Council of Europe recently threatened Turkey with sanctions, which could be adopted at its next session (November 30 to December 2) if the opponent is not released by then. Opposition leader Kemal Kiliçdaroglu estimated that the threat of an imminent expulsion of the ambassadors risked “plunging the country into the abyss”.
