President Tayyip Erdogan's political opponents said his call to expel the ambassadors of 10 Western allies was an attempt to distract attention from Turkey's economic difficulties, while diplomats hoped the expulsions might yet be averted.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition CHP, said Erdogan was "rapidly dragging the country to a precipice".
Erdogan said the envoys were impudent and had no right to demand Kavala's release, stressing that the Turkish judiciary was independent. Erdogan has dominated Turkish politics for two decades but support for his ruling alliance has eroded significantly ahead of elections scheduled for 2023, partly because of sharp rises in the cost of living.
"Erdogan has to project power for domestic political reasons," he said, adding that typically countries whose envoys have been kicked out retaliate with tit-for-tat expulsions. "This stands to make for increasingly difficult relations with Washington and the EU."