Turkey's Erdogan blasts ambassadors' call for philanthropist's release
21/10/2021 11:56
ISTANBUL, Oct 21 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan
slammed ambassadors of 10 countries, including the United
States, Germany and France, over their call for philanthropist
Osman Kavala's release, saying Turkey should not be hosting
them, in comments reported on Thursday.
The foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors on Tuesday for
what it said was an "irresponsible" statement calling for a just
and speedy resolution to Kavala's case. He has been in prison
since late 2017 without being convicted.
Kavala was acquitted last year of charges related to 2013
nationwide protests, but the ruling was overturned this year and
combined with charges in another case related to a coup attempt
in 2016. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2N8139 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2R41UB
In a statement this week, the ambassadors called on Turkey
to secure Kavala's swift release.
"I told our foreign minister: We can't have the luxury of
hosting this lot in our country. Is it for you to give Turkey
such a lesson? Who do you think you are?" Erdogan was quoted as
telling reporters on his plane returning from a trip to Africa.
He rejected any suggestion that the Turkish judiciary was
not independent. "Our judiciary is one of the nicest examples of
independence," Haberturk news website reported him as saying.
Rights groups say Kavala's case is emblematic of a crackdown
on dissent under Erdogan.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) called for
Kavala's immediate release in late 2019 over a lack of
reasonable suspicion that he committed an offence, ruling that
his detention served to silence him. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2L335L
The Council of Europe has said it will begin infringement
proceedings against Turkey if Kavala is not released. Turkey
would be the second country against which infringement
proceedings have been launched. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2QJ15O
The other parties to the ambassadors' statement were Canada,
Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland and New
Zealand.
The next hearing in the case against Kavala, who has denied
all charges, and others will be held on Nov. 26.
(Reporting by Daren Butler
Editing by Dominic Evans)
((daren.butler@tr.com; +90-212-350 7053; Reuters Messaging:
daren.butler.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))