Ankara met with ambassadors from ten countries on Tuesday, including the Netherlands. The reason is the statement issued by these countries regarding the detention of businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala. Those countries are calling on Turkey to release a prisoner who has been in prison for four years.
According to Turkey, Kawala funded “terrorists” during the 2013 Kesi uprising. The businessman was arrested in October 2017 without charge; He was sentenced to life imprisonment and was released last year. But after that, he was again charged, this time for being involved in a plot that was foiled in 2016.
Ambassadors were not the only ones calling for the release of the businessman. The European Court of Human Rights has ordered the Turkish government to release the businessman in 2019. According to that court, he has been remanded in custody pending further action. But Ankara has so far ignored that statement.
The Council of Europe suspension hangs over the head
The Council of Europe, the 47-nation body that oversees human rights, announced in late November last month that it would launch criminal proceedings against Turkey if the guards were not released before the next meeting. Eventually, Turkey, which is a member of the European Council, may be suspended.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry called the ambassadors’ statement “unacceptable.” Turkey is a democratic country that respects human rights. The ambassadors reminded that such statements would not affect the Turkish legal system, ”the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
In addition to the Dutch ambassador, his colleagues from Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand, the United States, France and Germany also signed the statement.
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Surprise: Turkish court acquits suspects of Kesi struggle
Another Kafkosk day in Turkish justice. On the same day, a Leading Turkish businessman Was acquitted and re-charged.
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