Turkey wants to expel Dutch ambassador and ten others

“I have instructed our foreign minister to treat the declaration of these ten ambassadors as persona non grata as soon as possible,” Erdogan said. He finds their behavior indecent. If a diplomat is in disgrace, the country concerned often decides to recall that person itself.

In addition to the Ambassador of the Netherlands Marjanne de Kwaasteniet, they are the ambassadors of Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand, United States, France and Germany.

The ten ambassadors wrote a joint statement in which they defended Osman Kavala (64). He has now been in prison for four years without a conviction. According to the authorities, he wants to destabilize Turkey. Last year, after a life sentence, he was acquitted of funding anti-government protests in 2013. He was immediately charged with involvement in the foiled 2016 coup. He is to remain in prison until. at the end of November, a decision was taken. court at the beginning of the month.

‘Unacceptable’

In recent days, Turkey had already threatened to expel the Dutch ambassador and the nine other people in the heated riot over the imprisoned Turkish activist. Erdogan then said that “we cannot afford” to have these ambassadors in Turkey.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry immediately called the statement about Kavala “unacceptable”. Ambassadors have been called to account.