EU envoy welcomes easing of Turkey diplomatic crisis

DPA Istanbul The head of the EU delegation to Turkey welcomed on Tuesday the de-escalation between Ankara and some Western nations over the ambassadors exp...

DPAIstanbulThe head of the EU delegation to Turkey welcomed on Tuesday the de-escalation between Ankara and some Western nations over the ambassadors expulsion threat following a call for the release of a key jailed philanthropist.“I think everyone found a face-saving way out [of this crisis],” Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut told dpa in Istanbul.The top EU envoy said he hopes the sides will continue working together based on common interests and despite the challenges.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has over the weekend threatened to expel the ambassadors from 10 Western countries, including Germany and the United States, stirring a new spat with some of Ankara’s key trade and political partners.Erdogan had been incensed by a joint statement the countries issued on October 18 that called for philanthropist Osman Kavala be set free, describing it as inappropriate meddling in Turkish affairs.On Monday the embassies in Ankara said on social media that they would not interfere in the internal affairs of Turkey.The ambassadors had backtracked and would be “more careful” in the future, Erdogan said late Monday in Ankara.Founder of the Anadolu Kultur non-governmental organization, the 64-year-old Kavala has been in pretrial detention in Istanbul since 2017, even though the European Court of Human Rights ordered his release in 2019.Accused of espionage and attempting to overthrow the government by means of the 2013 Gezi protests, Kavala denies all charges, but could face life imprisonment if convicted.On Tuesday, most Turkish newspapers lined up to praise Erdogan’s stance as a diplomatic success.Erdogan taught the “immoderate ambassadors” and their friends at home a “historical lesson,” wrote Sabah daily.“This shouldn’t happen again,” Hurriyet reported on its front page, adding the president sent the diplomats a clear message.“They all knuckled under in one week,” wrote Takvim daily, posting the pictures of the envoys. The list also included Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.