Egypt tells Turkish ambassador to leave the country

Egypt has taken a very tough step and told the Turkish ambassador to leave the country. On Friday, Turkish PM Erdoğan had called for ousted President Mohammed Morsi to be freed. On account of this development relations between Cairo and Ankara are expected to be lowered to charge d’affaires, officials have expressed.

Egypt’s foreign ministry which made a statement today, accused Mr Erdogan of provocation and interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs. In response toCairo’s decision to expel ambassador Huseyin Avni Botsali on the other hand, Turkey also announced the downgrading of ties and barred the Egyptian ambassador, declaring him “persona non grata”.

Since the overthrow of Mr. Morsi by the military Turkey has been a vocal critic of the administration. Mr Morsi is in prison currently awaiting trial on charges of inciting murder and violence.

He is one of thousands of citizens belonging to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood who have been detained in a crackdown the interim authorities have portrayed as a struggle against “terrorism”. On the other hand hundreds of people were also killed in clashes between citizens and security forces.

The story goes back to an earlier stage when Turkish PM condemned the violent dispersal of pro-Morsi protesters in August. Egypt has accused Turkey of “attempting to influence public opinion against Egyptian interests, supported meetings of organisations that seek to create instability in the country”. This conflict led to a crisis between two countries on which occasion ambassadors were called back home.

Turkey’s ambassador to Cairo returned in September, but the Egyptian ambassador to Turkey was never reinstalled.

Mr Erdogan, like Mr Morsi, has his roots in political Islam. Ankara and Istanbul have hosted a series of meetings of the international Muslim Brotherhood.

23.11.2013
Editor