ANKARA, Oct 24 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterrday told his foreign minister to expel the ambassadors of 10 countries including Germany and the United States who appealed for the release of a jailed civil society leader. The envoys issued a highly unusual joint statement on Monday...
ANKARA, Oct 24 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterrday told his foreign minister to expel the ambassadors of 10 countries including Germany and the United States who appealed for the release of a jailed civil society leader.
“I have ordered our foreign minister to declare these 10 ambassadors as persona non grata as soon as possible,” Erdogan said, using a diplomatic term meaning the first step before expulsion.Several European countries said late on Saturday they had received no official notification from Turkey. She vowed to continue pressing Turkey on human rights and democracy — comments echoed by Danish and Dutch officials.Kavala, 64, has been in jail without a conviction since 2017 on charges linked to 2013 anti-government protests and a failed military coup in 2016.But yesterday, Erdogan described Kavala as the “agent in Turkey” of Hungary-born American billionaire George Soros — a regular target of right-wing and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
“Since I am accused of being a part of this conspiracy allegedly organised by foreign powers, my release would weaken the fiction,” he said. Erdogan faces multiple challenges at home and abroad, with global financial misconduct watchdog FATF placing Turkey under surveillance for failing to properly combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
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Erdogan says Turkey is set to banish 10 Western ambassadorsISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he had ordered the foreign ministry to declare 10 ambassadors from Western countries 'persona non grata' for calling for the release of philanthropist Osman Kavala.
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