Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives up expelling ten Western diplomats – teller report

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s backpedaling. The Turkish president gave up on Monday, October 25, to expel ten Western ambassadors whose departure he had ordered after their mobilization in favor of a man in prison. For the Turkish power, this about-face allows the country to avoid finding itself diplomatically isolated, and even more weakened economically.

Diplomats have “retreated” and “will be more careful in the future”, declared the head of state after a meeting of his government of several hours, the contents of which were not revealed. The ten ambassadors – United States, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden – mobilized in support of patron and businessman Osman Kavala, imprisoned for four years without judgement.

In a joint statement released on October 18, the ambassadors called for a “fair and expeditious settlement of the matter“Osman Kavala. This text was a “attack” and an “huge insult” against Turkish justice, said Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Our intention was not to create a crisis, but to protect our rights, our honor, our pride and our sovereign interests.”

On Monday, the ten chanceries concerned had started a de-escalation by way of press releases, claiming 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 the host country. A declaration “positively received“by the Turkish president, according to the official Anadolu news agency.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters the United States had “noted” of the “clarification“of the Turkish President, but will remain “firm in (their) commitment to promote the rule of law, promote respect for human rights” in Turkey.