Finland’s leader: Turkey decision on envoys ‘regrettable’

By JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s leader says that the Turkish president’s decision to order that 10 foreign ambassadors be declared persona non grata after calling for the release of a jailed philanthropist and human rights activist was a “regrettable situation.” Prime Minister Sanna Marin made the comments Sunday after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the move on Saturday. A declaration of persona non grata against a diplomat usually means that the individual is banned from remaining in their host country. The envoys from the U.S., France, Germany, Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and New Zealand had called for a resolution to the case of a businessman and philanthropist held in prison since 2017 despite not having been convicted of a crime.