Turkey: Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives up expelling 10 Western ambassadors – Franceinfo

The diplomatic crisis is avoided. Western ambassadors in Turkey have “retreated” and “will be more careful in the future”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday (October 25th). The latter has given up expelling the 10 diplomats threatened because of their support for the imprisoned philanthropist Osman Kavala.

“Our intention was not to create a crisis”, but to protect the sovereign rights of Turkey, asserted Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The 10 ambassadors – United States, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden – had called in a joint statement, on October 18, for a “fair and expeditious settlement of the matter” Osman Kavala, deprived of liberty since October 2017.

This press release was a “attack” and an “insult” against Turkish justice, affirmed the Turkish president during a speech delivered after the meeting of his government.

“It was my duty as Head of State to provide the necessary response”, added the Turkish president, believing that “Turkish justice does not take orders from anyone”.

“Their new press release shows they have backed down”, judged Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after the 10 countries concerned affirmed, in press releases, to act in “conformity with the Vienna Convention and its article 41” which frames diplomatic relations and prohibits any interference in the internal affairs of a host country.