After the Turkish president accused Egypt’s President al-Sissi of taking power in a coup d’État in his UN speech, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry responded with a condemning statement.
Egypt on Thursday slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments at the UN General Assembly, in which he said that President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi came to power in a coup.
In this September 24, 2014, photo, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks during the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters. – Photo: AP
Speaking to representatives of 193 countries at the annual high-level UN meeting on Wednesday, Erdoğan said, “If we are going to defend people who come to power through coups, then I ask the question why we exist as the United Nations.” The Turkish leader added that Egypt’s former president Mohammed Morsi, ousted in 2013, was removed in a coup. He said that the UN was giving legitimacy to the person who ousted him, in reference to Sissi, the Business Standard reported.
In a statement Thursday published in local media, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the speech was full of “lies.”
“The Turkish President speech included lies and fabrications and totally disregarded the will of the Egyptian people as reflected in the 30th of June Revolution,” the statement said.
It went on to say that the content of Erdoğan’s speech was no surprise, as the Turkish president wants to “create chaos” and sow division in the region.
“It is not surprising that such fabrication and lies come from the Turkish President, who is keen on creating chaos and spreading division in the Middle East region by supporting terrorist groups and organizations politically, or financially or accommodating them in order to ruin the welfare of region’s people, to achieve personal aspirations,” the statement said.
Along with the sharp rebuke, the statement added that Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had cancelled a meeting with Turkey’s FM Mevlut Cavusoglu that was meant to take place Thursday.
This is not the first time that Erdoğan has slammed Sissi. In July, during the hostilities between Israel and Hamas, the Turkish leader described Sissi as “a tyrant” and cast aspersions on his abilities to mediate a cease-fire between the two sides. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry also responded angrily to those remarks, the Business Standard said.
View original HAARETZ publication at: http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.617701
Israeli New Shekel Exchange Rate