Oct 25, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Erdoğan walks back threat to expel 10 Western diplomats

Noah Garfinkel

Erdogan speaking at the UN general assembly — President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addresses the UN. Photo: Timothy A. Clary-Pool/Getty Images

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday walked back threats to expel 10 Western ambassadors from the country, according to the New York Times.

Driving the news: Last Saturday, Erdoğan threatened to declare 10 ambassadors persona non grata after they called for the release of jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala.

The big picture: Many analysts were afraid the threat could lead to sanctions, which could further hurt the struggling Turkish economy, per NYT.

The Turkish lira fell to a new of low 9.75 to a dollar.

What they're saying: “Our will is never to cause a crisis, but to protect the rights and law, honor, interests and sovereign rights of our country,” Erdoğan said in a televised statement on Monday, per NYT.

“I believe from now on they will be more careful about their statements regarding sovereign rights,” he added.
"The end of this crisis does not mean that the Osman Kavala issue is over. The Kavala issue will continue to be a problem in Turkey's relations with the EU and the USA," Asli Aydintasbas, a senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, wrote on Twitter.

Add Axios on Google

Erdoğan walks back threat to expel 10 Western diplomats

What to read next