Turkey on late Friday summoned Germany's Ambassador to Ankara Jürgen Schulz after Germany summoned Turkey’s envoy in Berlin over the latest verdict on jailed businessperson Osman Kavala.
The German Foreign Ministry earlier summoned Turkey's Ambassador to Berlin Ahmet Başar Şen regarding the case. As a response, the German diplomat was summoned by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director of the European Union Faruk Kaymakcı, according to the information provided by Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It was said that Germany’s summoning of the Turkish diplomat was contrary to diplomatic practices, and that the Kavala case was being politicized.
It was stated to Ambassador Schulz that the verdict of conviction rendered by the independent Turkish judiciary cannot be questioned by any institution, authority or country, that Turkey is a state of law that is aware of its Constitution and international obligations, and that attempts to intervene in the Turkish judiciary and politics are rejected.
The ambassador was also reminded of the Vienna Convention's principle of non-interference in internal affairs.
Germany summoned Turkey's Ambassador to Berlin Şen to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to the aggravated life sentence given to Kavala.
Christofer Burger, spokesperson of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that with this, they “have once again clearly demonstrated the government's stance by calling the Turkish ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Burger also stated that they urged other EU member states to act in the same way.
The spokesperson also referred to the statement of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, claiming that the decision violates the rule of law and international commitments and said, “We expect Osman Kavala to be released as soon as possible.”
A Turkish court on Monday sentenced jailed businessperson Kavala to life in prison after he was found guilty of attempting to overthrow the government by financing the 2013 nationwide protests.
Kavala, 64, has been in jail for 4 1/2 years and denies the charges that he and 15 others faced over the Gezi Park protests, which began as small demonstrations in Istanbul and transformed into nationwide riots, which left eight protesters and a police officer dead.
The court in Istanbul also sentenced seven others to 18 years in jail for aiding the attempt to overthrow the government. The court said it decided to acquit Kavala of the espionage charge due to lack of evidence.
