Free Republic

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday declared ambassadors from 10 Western countries, including the United States, "persona non grata" in Turkey over a letter from the countries' embassies calling for the release from Turkish prison of Osman Kavala, a prominent philanthropist and civil society activist. ... It came five days after a public statement by the 10 embassies criticizing Turkey over Kavala’s years-long detention and delays in his trial, which had “cast a shadow over respect for democracy, the rule of law and transparency in the Turkish judiciary system,” the statement said. Along with the United States, France and...

The move means 10 ambassadors — including those of Germany and the United States — are now just one step from expulsion after calling for the release of activist Osman Kavala. Ambassadors from 10 countries who appealed for the release of Turkish activist Osman Kavala are to be declared "persona non grata," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday. The designation is a diplomatic term that signifies the first step before expulsion. What does this move mean? Erdogan did not specifically clarify whether his order meant that the diplomats — who he accused of "indecency" — would be ordered to...