To say that turning away from Waliyah is not turning away from Islam, is trying to sugar coat the 12er Shia view on the sahaba. To understand that the 12er Shia view that they left Islam is the real interpretation and this is the interpretation which had a consensus.
Any quotes from their classic scholars against their sugar caoting? Or any more narrations from their Imams?
Look at Al Khoei's fatwa.
Grand Ayatollah Al Khoei, he goes on to say that all non-12rs (even including other shia sects) are Muslims in the Dunya and kaffirs in the Akhira:
"We had already spoke about The Najasah(uncleanliness) of all the teams who differ with the Twelver Shias and their Tahara. And in brief that denying the Wilayah for ''all'' the Imams PBUT or ''some of them'''' is like denying the message and it brings Kufr and Najasah? Or that Denying The Wilayah necessarily means leaving Iman (Belief) with the Hukm of his Islam and Tahara. What is popular amongst the scholars Is the Tahara of those who differ with us Although the author of the book "Al Hada'eq" May Allah sanctify his secret has attributed to the modern scholars like al Sayyed al murtada that it was popular amongst them That those who differ are Kouffar and Najis even the ''other'' Shia teams(1). What we can use to prove the Najasah of those who differ with us is divided into three parts, Firstly what we Read in Countless and plenty of Narrations that those who differ with the Imams are Kouffar."
"And thus Other Shia teams like Zaidiyah, Kisaniyah, Ismaliyah and others their ruling is the same as that of those who differ with us because there is no difference between denying Wilayah of the Imams altogether and between accepting it for ''some ''Imams and denying it for other Imams, and it was mentioned that he who denies'' one'' denies'' all'', and I know that Denying this Wilayah does not mean Kufr or Najasah nor does denying Wilayah for some of the Imams, What is correct is The Tahara of all those who differ with the Twelver Shia and their Islam Based on what is ''Apparent'' Although ÍN REALITY They are All Kouffar and we have called them Muslims in The Dunyah and Kaffirs on The Day of judgement."
-Source: kitab al tahara, Khoei, 2/87.
sheikh Muhammad Hassan Jawahiri in his book "Jawahir al-kalam" 6/67 quoted hadith: