Turkey to expel Dutch ambassador and nine colleagues after riot over jailed dissident

Turkish President Erdogan ordered the Foreign Minister to expel ten ambassadors from the country. Dutch representative Marjanne de Kwaasteniet is also affected by the heavy diplomatic sanction.

“I have instructed our foreign minister to treat the declaration of these ten ambassadors as persona non grata as soon as possible,” Erdogan said today. “They will get to know and understand Turkey. If they don’t understand Turkey, they have to go.

The ten cried last Monday in a report the Turkish government to release businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala. The businessman was arrested for being involved in protests in 2013 in Istanbul’s Gezi Park.

on the carpet

In addition to the Netherlands, the embassies of the United States, Germany and France, among others, have spoken out in favor of Kavala’s release. Earlier this week, Turkey had already summoned the ambassadors for this.

Erdogan had previously alluded to the expulsion of diplomats because of the statement. “Do you think you can lecture Turkey like that? Who do you think you are?” He told reporters on Thursday.

Failed coup

Osman Kavala has been jailed since 2017 for his involvement in protests against President Erdogan four years earlier. Last year, after a short-term release, there were suspicions of involvement in the failed 2016 coup.

The European Court of Human Rights had previously ordered the Erdogan government to release Kavala in 2019, but the Turkish government never complied. “In your countries, bandits, murderers and terrorists are not released either?” Erdogan replied to the call Thursday.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry has yet to respond to the decision.