The mood suddenly became tense in Ankara. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatens, according to Turkish media, to expel the
ambassadors from ten countries, including France, Germany and the United States. At the origin of the head of state’s anger, an appeal launched Monday by Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States in favor of the release of Osman Kavala.
Detained for four years, the publisher and patron has never been tried. Osman Kavala, 64, is a staunch opponent of the regime. He notably supported the anti-government protests in 2013 by the Gezi movement, and is accused of having sought to “overthrow the government” during the attempt to Rebellion from 2016.
But the European Court of Human Rights ordered in 2019 his “immediate release”. In vain then. the Council of Europe also threatened to sanction the
Turkey if Kavala was not released. But Erdogan stresses that Turkish justice is “independent” and that his country has no lesson to learn, deeming “unacceptable” the position of the countries at the origin of the call.