Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he’s declared U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield, along with nine other foreign envoys, personae non gratae after they issued a joint statement earlier this week calling for the release of jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala, AP reports.
Driving the news: The embassies of the United States, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden wrote in the Oct. 18 statement that they “believe a just and speedy resolution to his case must be in line with Turkey’s international obligations and domestic laws.”
- “Noting the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on the matter, we call for Turkey to secure his urgent release,” the statement added.
- Kavala has been held without a conviction since 2017. A court acquitted him in 2020 of charges related to nationwide anti-government demonstrations in 2013, but the decision was later overturned and his original charges were combined with separate charges involving a 2016 coup attempt, per AP.
What he’s saying: “I gave the instruction to our foreign minister and said ‘You will immediately handle the persona non grata declaration of these 10 ambassadors,’” Erdogan said during a Saturday rally, according to AP.
- “They will recognize, understand and know Turkey,” he added. “The day they don’t know or understand Turkey, they will leave.”
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