Erdogan: Western ambassadors took a step back, will be more careful

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said western ambassadors in Turkey took a step back, and will be more careful in their statements about the country's internal affairs.

Erdogan said the envoys had issued a new statement that "shows they have taken a step back from the slander against our country", adding, "They will be more careful now."

"Our intention is absolutely not to create a crisis but to protect our sovereign rights," Erdogan said following a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

"The ambassadors who issued the statement on the Kavala case directly target Turkey's jurisdiction, right of sovereignty,"  he added.

Erdogan added that anyone who does not respect the independence of Turkey and the sensitivities of the Turkish nation cannot live in this country, regardless of their title.

The ambassadors of US, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden shared a joint statement on social media last week, calling for Kavala's release, claiming the ongoing case has cast a shadow over Turkey.

READ MORE: Western envoys announce compliance with Vienna Convention over Kavala row

Diplomatic row

Later, the Foreign Ministry of Turkey summoned the ambassadors of these countries, accusing them of meddling in the Turkey's judiciary.

Erdogan had responded by ordering Turkey's foreign minister to declare the 10 ambassadors “persona non grata” over their statement.

However, early on Monday, the 10 embassies in Turkey announced that they abide by Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which calls on the envoys not to interfere in the internal affairs of the states they serve in.

Shortly after President Erdogan’s speech, Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter that Turkey will not shy away from further steps against ambassadors to show it “will never compromise our national sovereignty".

Osman Kavala, a Turkish businessman, was first arrested over criminal charges related to the 2013 Gezi Park protests, a small number of demonstrations in Istanbul that later transformed into nationwide protests.

The businessman was later remanded into custody by an Istanbul court as part of a probe into the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, with prosecutors accusing him of spying.

Kavala's next court hearing is set for November 26.

READ MORE: Turkey's president orders expulsion of 10 ambassadors over Kavala statement