Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to expel ambassadors of ten countries from Turkey for their calls to release activist Osman Kavala, RIA Novosti reports.
"Why are these ten ambassadors making such statements? I told our Foreign Ministry that we do not have the luxury to welcome them in our country. Is it your business to give a lesson to Turkey? Who do you think you are? Leave Kavala alone. Do you let murderers, terrorists and bandits stay in your own countries?" Recep Erdogan said noting that the the country's court was independent and could be an example for other states.
Earlier, Anadolu news agency, citing a source in the Foreign Ministry, reported that the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the heads of diplomatic missions from the United States, Germany, France, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Norway and New Zealand.
On Monday, October 18, the embassies of the above-mentioned countries issued a statement, in which they called on the Turkish authorities to release Osman Kavala. Kavala is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of the Anadolu Kültür AŞ cultural foundation. They called the trial of the human rights defender "a stain on democracy, the rule of law and transparency of the judiciary system, because four years have passed since his arrest.