Turkey reverses threat to expel European ambassadors
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan backtracked on an earlier threat to expel 10 foreign ambassadors -- including seven from Europe -- after they supported the release of a jailed philanthropist, Euronews reported.
“We believe that these ambassadors, who have fulfilled their commitment to Article 41 of the Vienna Convention, will now be more careful in their statements,” he said in televised remarks following a three-hour Cabinet meeting in Ankara.
The 10 ambassadors had called for the release of businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala — jailed in 2017 despite having not having been convicted of a crime — in a joint statement last week.
Erdogan had said on Saturday that the statement was an “impudence” and ordered the ambassadors to be declared persona non grata.
“I gave the instruction to our foreign minister and said ‘You will immediately handle the persona non grata declaration of these 10 ambassadors,’” Erdogan told supporters during a rally in Eskisehir.
“They will recognise, understand and know Turkey. The day they don’t know or understand Turkey, they will leave.”
The diplomats, including the ambassadors of France, Germany, Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, New Zealand, and the US, were summoned to the foreign ministry on Tuesday.