Turkey;s foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors of 10 countries, including the United States, Germany and France, on Tuesday over what it said was an “irresponsible” statement that called for the urgent release of philanthropist Osman Kavala, writes Reuters.

Earlier, the embassies shared a statement on social media calling for Kavala’s release, claiming the ongoing case has cast a shadow over democracy and the rule of law in Turkey.

Turkey’s parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop and Omer Celik, the spokesman for Turkey’s Justice and Development (AK) Party, criticized the statement. Sentop said this is stepping out of bounds.

“Statements by diplomats, who work in our country, to influence the Turkish judiciary are unacceptable”, - Celik said, underlining that Turkey is a sovereign state of law and the Turkish judiciary is independent.