Ambassadors from ten countries, including the United States, Germany, and France, have been declared non-welcoming by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Notifying ambassadors that Persona non-grata will result in their diplomatic status being revoked. They may also be expelled from the country or their ambassadors may go unnoticed.
What's the matter with these ten ambassadors?
They jointly issued a statement calling for the release of imprisoned Turkish human rights activist Osman Kavala.
Since then, President Erdogan has taken this move. In a case involving protests and a coup attempt, Kavala was sentenced to more than four years in prison. Before the trial is over, he is out of jail.
The US, Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and sweden embassies all made statements this week appealing for the activist's release.
Seven of these countries, including turkey, are NATO members. The Council of Europe, Europe's top human rights organization, has finally issued a warning to turkey to comply with the european court of Human Rights' order to release the activist.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a meeting in Eskisehir on Saturday, I have given the minister of Foreign Affairs the appropriate orders and what to do.
The ambassadors of the ten countries should be immediately designated "unwelcome persons." Erdogan is quoted in Turkish media as saying that diplomats must understand turkey or go.
There has been no significant response from the country's diplomats in this regard thus far. According to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the countries involved are actively consulting.
Turkey's flag
The ten countries' embassies expressed their displeasure with a series of delays in the trial of Turkish campaigner Osman Kavala. The statement went on to say that this harmed democracy, the rule of law, and openness. The report also demanded that Osman's case be resolved quickly and that he be released immediately.
Kavala disputes the allegations levelled against her. Erdogan's critics claim that this is an example of widespread repression of criticism.