The expulsion of ambassadors… Erdogan opens Turkey’s “doors to international rage”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened the ‘’doors of international anger’’ over his country after he asked ambassadors from ten countries, including the US, to leave.
A U.S. State Department spokesman said on Saturday: « We are aware of this information and are seeking further information from the » Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Norway’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Trude Masade told her country’s media: “Our ambassador did nothing to justify the expulsion.”
It is committed to « pressure on Turkey regarding human rights and » democracy.
The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: « We are currently conducting intensive consultations with the other nine States concerned».
Beginning of the crisis
On Saturday, while attacking ambassadors from 10 countries, including the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, Erdoğan said: “They go to bed and wake up saying “Kavala Kavala”, 10 ambassadors come to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What a shame! What do you think of this country? It’s Turkey.
Erdogan addressed the ambassadors in his address: « You cannot come here and give instructions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I have instructed the Minister for Foreign Affairs and told him what he is doing. He will treat you as unwanted people as soon as possible. This is Turkey, you will understand and you will know as soon as possible, the day you do not understand it, you will leave»
In a joint statement issued by the embassies of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and the United States, 10 ambassadors called for the release of businessman Osman Kavala.
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In their statement, the ambassadors of these states said that “the continued postponement of the Kavala trial by the incorporation of different cases and the creation of new cases after the acquittal cast a shadow on the respect for democracy, the rule of law and the principles of transparency in the Turkish judicial system, which lasted four years».
They added: ‘’we believe that this issue must be resolved in a fair and expeditious manner, in accordance with Turkey’s international obligations and national laws’’.
Discredit the country’s reputation
The Turkish opposition considered that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attack on the ambassadors of 10 foreign countries in his country, aimed at securing the release of a human rights activist, had « destroyed the reputation of the » country.
Ahmet Davutoglu, the opposition leader of the ‘Future» party, criticized Erdogan’s statements about the ambassadors and his threats to expel them.
In a series of tweets on Twitter, Davutoglu commented criticizing Erdogan’s threats: ‘‘the discourse of street fighting has replaced the spirit of the state. You’re hurting the country’’ talking about the president.
The former Prime Minister added that the proclamation of 10 unwanted ambassadors had nothing to do with Osman Kavala or the independence of the judiciary. Had he done so, US Pastor Andrew Brunson would not have kept in touch with former President Donald Trump, nor would he have left German-Turks Deniz Yucel at the behest of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel.
He adds: ‘’we must all oppose internal and external interference with the decisions of our independent judge, but this government has created the impression that our judicial system can work with the instructions of other capitals’’.
He added: ‘’this government has mastered the law, turned foreign policy into agreements and destroyed the reputation of our country. When we give Kavala the right to a fair and independent trial to which all citizens are entitled, other capitals shut up! ‘’.
He continues: ‘’Why are we so eager to provoke the biggest diplomatic crisis in our history with the countries we export the most? Your citizens doubt your fairness, but your judge and your country have no credibility’’.
Likewise, Turkish journalist Ismail Saymez has denounced Erdogan’s call for a foreign minister to declare ambassadors of 10 European countries undesirable.
In a tweet, Saymez said: « According to the President of the Republic, if 10 ambassadors of undesirable persons are declared, our ambassadors will be subject to the same procedure in those States, under the principle of » reciprocity.
