Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Because of imprisoned activist
Turkey summons German ambassadors
Ten ambassadors – from Germany and other Western countries – are calling for the immediate release of human rights activist Osman Kavala, who has been imprisoned in Turkey for four years. Istanbul reacts angrily and orders the diplomats.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned the ambassadors of Germany and nine other countries because of a statement calling for the immediate release of human rights activist Osman Kavala. “Ambassadors who make a recommendation and a proposal to the judiciary in an ongoing process are unacceptable,” Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu wrote on Twitter.
The demand cast a shadow on the diplomatic representatives’ understanding of law and democracy. The appointed ambassadors include diplomats from Germany, the United States and France as well as foreign representatives from Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland and New Zealand, as the state agency Anadolu reported.
Demand for a fair and quick solution
“The ongoing delays in Kavala’s trial, including the amalgamation of various cases and the creation of new allegations after an acquittal, cast a shadow over respect for democracy, the rule of law and transparency in the Turkish judicial system,” the embassies had previously stated. They wanted a fair and quick solution.
The businessman Kavala has been imprisoned in Turkey for four years without having been convicted. The European Court of Human Rights demands his release. The Council of Europe has announced that it will initiate proceedings against Turkey if Kavala is not released.
Kavala was acquitted of charges related to nationwide protests in 2013 last year. But the verdict was overturned that year and linked to charges of attempted coup in 2016. Human rights organizations see the trials against Kavala as an example of the crackdown under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against those who think differently.