Cairo expels Turkish ambassador, Ankara says Egyptian envoy “persona non grata”

Egypt accuses Ankara of backing Muslim Brotherhood, inciting against current gov’t.

Turkey deems Egyptian envoy “persona non grata.”

By REUTERS

 

 

CAIRO – Egypt said on Saturday it was expelling Turkey’s ambassador and accused Ankara of backing organizations bent on spreading instability – an apparent reference to the Muslim Brotherhood of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.

Turkish Prime Minsiter Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish Prime Minsiter Tayyip Erdoğan. – Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas 

Turkey, which had forged close ties with Egypt under Morsi, responded by declaring the Egyptian ambassador, currently out of the country, persona non grata.

“We are saddened by this situation,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “But responsibility before history belongs to Egypt’s temporary administration which came to power under the extraordinary circumstances of the July 3 coup.”

Turkey has emerged as one of the fiercest international critics of Morsi’s removal, calling it an “unacceptable coup”. Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, which has been staging protests calling for his reinstatement, has close ties with Turkish Prime Minster Tayyip Erdoğan’s AK Party.

“(Ankara is) … attempting to influence public opinion against Egyptian interests, supported meetings of organizations that seek to create instability in the country,” Egyptian foreign Ministry Spokesman Badr Abdelatty said, in explaining why the Turkish ambassador had been asked to leave.

In response to Egypt’s decision, Turkish President Abdullah Gul spoke live on state run TRT television, saying: “I hope our relations will again get back on track.”

Both countries will remain represented in each other’s capitals by embassies headed by a charge d’affaires, effectively a number two.

Both sides had recalled their ambassadors in August for consultation after Egyptian security forces stormed into pro-Morsi camps on August 14, killing hundreds.

 

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Egypt-asks-Turkish-ambassador-to-leave-cites-threat-to-stability-332732