Erdogan Says 10 Western Ambassadors No Longer Welcome in Turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the ambassadors of 10 nations, including the U.S., Germany and France, were no longer welcome in Turkey after they demanded the release of a prominent businessman and philanthropist.

“I gave the necessary orders and told our foreign ministry to quickly take care of declaring these 10 ambassadors personae non gratae,” Erdogan said in a televised speech in Eskisehir, west of Ankara.

A declaration of persona non grata against a diplomat usually means the individual will be banned from remaining in the country.

Erdogan said Thursday that Turkey can no longer afford to host the envoys of the U.S., Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Norway and New Zealand after they issued the joint call for Osman Kavala’s release.

Their rare coordinated appeal shows how Western nations have come to see the case as a test of the independence of Turkey’s judiciary and the rule of law.

Kavala stands accused of participating in a failed 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan. He’s denied collaborating with followers of U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan says orchestrated the attempted putsch. A Turkish scholar in the U.S., Henri Barkey, is being tried in absentia in the same hearings.

Turkey’s foreign ministry already summoned the ambassadors to demand they explain their joint statement, issued on Oct. 19.

The ambassadors need to “know and understand Turkey. The day they don’t know, understand Turkey, they will leave this country,” Erdogan said.

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[purgethis]

This is precisely why I opt for Chicken over Turkey

[wilson]

10 western ambassadors get to go home? Great

[dawnrio]

So he's not doing the NATO thing anymore 🤷‍♀️

[Thatweirduncle]

Lmao, my US history teacher was just talking this week about the US rejecting a French ambassador, and how insanely rare it is for one to be rejected, and then here comes turkey kicking 10 out in one day.

[maxbang]

OK, so he won't ask US, Germany, and France for financial aid, nor things like vaccine etc. Ok good. See ya!

[stefanfrankel]

I guess he's not going to get into the EU any time soon.

[dlb]

How much money is the US sending Turkey. Whatever it is it should be cut off.

[patrickkerner]

As a Leader you must defend your people, no one can deny that!

[ballermilw]

Germany should send back the millions of Turkish immigrants living in the country.

[JuniorAlvi]

I feel like he said way more than what the subtitles were showing. This channel either didn’t have a a good translator or they were told not to translate certain things lmao

[Jack]

Ah showing his true colors…. Kick rocks

[rmsmith]

Seems as though we have to guess which ten countries are banned... great reporting.

[ernestoacosta]

Man denounced the Pope for goodness sake, all cause of the Armenian genocide too, man is crazy

[jeffharbaugh]

The people are slowly choosing there side

[chappy]

He sounds like Swedish chef from the Muppets

[ownpetard]

The inclusion of the German ambassador is significant as Germany since before World War 1 has been Turkey's (incl. Ottoman) strongest supporter in Europe.
Also, Turkey has effectively devalued its currency, the lira. Erdogan needs something to divert the public's attention away from this. Better this than a war, but that may be coming.

[lidoz]

While the currency just fell 10% in 10 days! He’s deflecting the news

[cynthiaharris]

This Dictator needs to go. He’s setting Turkey back by decades!

[anthonygrizzel]

Who would want to go to Turkey in the first place?

[tedstrogis]

I lived in Turkey for a year. Beautiful country, nice people but this guy is nuts.