New Delhi

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has withdrawn his order threatening to expel the ambassadors of 10 Western nations over their support for a jailed activist, averting a possible diplomatic crisis.

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Erdogan had ordered the envoys to be declared persona non grata after they sought the release of prominent philanthropist Osman Kavala, 64, who has been detained for four years on charges of financing protests and involvement in an attempted coup.

The envoys from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand and the US called last week for a just and speedy resolution to Kavala’s case, and for his “urgent release”.

Erdogan slammed the joint statement by the western nations, calling it as a direct attack on Turkey’s judiciary and sovereignty.

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“The Turkish judiciary doesn’t take orders from anyone, and is not under anyone’s command. Our intention is absolutely not to create a crisis but to protect our law, honour, interests and our sovereign rights,” Erdogan said on Monday.

“We believe that these ambassadors, who have fulfilled their commitment to Article 41 of the Vienna Convention, will now be more careful in their statements,” he said in televised remarks following a three-hour Cabinet meeting in Ankara.

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Kavala was acquitted in February last year of charges linked to nationwide anti-government protests in 2013, but the ruling was overturned and joined to charges relating to a 2016 coup attempt. He faces a life sentence if convicted.

The European Court of Human Rights called for his release in 2019, saying his incarceration acted to silence him and was not supported by evidence of an offense. The Council of Europe says it will start infringement proceedings against Turkey at the end of November if Kavala is not freed.

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Although Kavala’s continued incarceration has been widely criticized abroad, Turkey maintains he is being held according to the rulings of its independent judiciary.

Kavala’s wife, Ayse Bugra, described his imprisonment as inexplicable. “There’s no way this situation can be explained either logically or legally,” she said in comments published on Halk TV’s website on Monday.

(With inputs from agencies)