Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States called for a “fair and rapid settlement of ‘Osman Kavala, businessman become the black beast of the Turkish regime.
Le Monde with AFP and Reuters
Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced on Saturday, October 23, ordered his Foreign Ministry to declare “personione non-grated” ten ambassadors who called this week to the immediate release of Osman Kavala. This businessman and Turkish patron became the black beast of the Turkish regime, imprisoned for four years without judgment.
In a statement released Monday night, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States had called up to a “Right and timely settlement of Osman Kavala. The day after their communiqué, the ambassadors of these ten countries had been summoned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Turkish, Mevlüt Cavusoglu, who judged “unacceptable” their call for Osman Kavala. The Turkish Head had threatened Thursday to expel these ambassadors.
These ambassadors “must know and understand Turkey,” said Erdogan on Saturday, accusing them “of indecency”. “They will have to leave” the country “if they do not know it anymore,” he added, without giving a specific date for the execution of his request to see them declared “personione not gratæ”.
Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, supplemented in 1963 by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, provides that a member of the diplomatic corps on mission may be declared, without motivation and urgently , Persona No Gratæ, bringing his recall by the country accrediting or putting an end to his duties with the mission.
Call for Osman Kavala
Osman Kavala, opposing 64 years, a major figure of civil society, has been accused since 2013 by President Erdogan’s regime to try to destabilize Turkey. In particular, it is in its line of sight for supporting the anti-government protests known in 2013 as “Gezi Movement”. Then he was accused of having sought to “overthrow the government” as part of the 2016 coup attempt.
In December 2019, the European Court of Human Rights had ordered its “immediate release”, in vain. Osman Kavala, who has always denied loads against him, risks prison for life. He will appear again on November 26, despite the European threats of sanctions against Ankara. The Council of Europe recently threatened Turkey of sanctions, which can be adopted at its next session (November 30 to 2 December) if the opponent is not released by then.
Ankara’s decision comes a few days after the FATF, the Financial Action Group, announced the investment of the country under surveillance. Turkey joined FATF’s gray list for its failure in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. She finds countries like Panama, Syria, Pakistan or Zimbabwe. Despite “a number of progress” in these areas since 2019, “said the organization,” serious problems remain “. The decision has been described as “unfair” by the Turkish Ministry of Finance. But the gray listing of the FATF can have consequences for foreign investment in the country and aggravate the economic situation.