Turkey: No Republic Day invitation for 10 Western ambassadors
Turkey did not invite 10 Western ambassadors to the Republic Day celebration ceremony at the presidency on Friday, following a diplomatic crisis that has angered the Turkish president, sources told Middle East Eye.
Turkish news agency Anka, which first reported the development, said the Western embassies were informed in advance that they weren’t going to get an invitation for the ceremony.
Sources said the move was expected after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly said last week that he would declare 10 ambassadors, including envoys from the US, Canada, Germany and France, unwanted - or persona non grata - over a statement calling for the release of imprisoned Turkish businessman Osman Kavala.
Erdogan withdrew his expulsion threat after the two sides came to an agreement: the US and other signatories would release a statement re-committing themselves to non-interference in Turkey's domestic affairs.
Later on Monday, the US embassy in Turkey and others released a statement on Twitter, saying: "The United States notes that it maintains compliance with Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."
Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand each sent out a similar message, while France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland retweeted the US message.
A senior Turkish official told MEE on Monday that the crisis was over, but that the next few days could prove tricky with potentially more angry statements from Turkish officials.
"But we are over it," the source said.
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