Erdogan Cancelled his Decision to Declare Ambassadors of 10 Western Countries Persona Non Grata

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has given up his announced intention to declare the ambassadors of 10 Western countries, including the United States and Germany, persona non grata.

The reason for the tension was a call by the embassies of these countries in Turkey for the release of the activist Osman Kavala, who has been in prison for four years without a sentence.

Earlier today, authorities in Berlin and Paris announced that they had not received official information about Ankara's intentions to declare the ambassadors of 10 Western countries, including Germany and France, persona non grata.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision on Saturday was prompted by the common position of the 10 countries, which called for a fair trial against Turkish activist Osman Kavala.

On Sunday, the US State Department demanded an explanation for the Turkish president's decision. And European Parliament President David Sasoli described Turkey's actions as an authoritarian trend.

Turkey's relations with its Western allies have been marked by their deepest crisis since the beginning of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 19-year rule, AFP reported.

In anticipation of the decision of the Turkish government, the reactions from Berlin and Paris came today.

Germany said it was in "close co-operation and consultation with threat-affected partners" and noted that there had been no official notification from Turkey. A government spokesman in Berlin, Stefan Seibert, said authorities were concerned and puzzled by the Turkish president's comments.

If Erdogan expels the diplomats, it would not be in line with the two countries' close bilateral relations and their co-operation within NATO, Seibert said.

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