Egypt decided on Saturday to expel Turkish Ambassador Huseyin Avni Botsali after remarks made by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Cairo deemed as being "provocative," the foreign ministry said.
Ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty said Cairo took three decisions on Saturday concerning its diplomatic ties with Ankara.
"First to expel the Turkish ambassador and downgrade our ties to the level of charge d'affaires, second to declare the Turkish ambassador persona non grata and third we will not send our ambassador to Turkey," Abdelatty told AFP.
He said the decisions were taken after Erdogan made remarks in Russia on Thursday that were "provocative and interfering in Egypt's internal affairs."
The Turkish premier condemned an August 14 crackdown by Egyptian security forces on supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo.
Ties have been strained since the ouster of Morsi and, in particular, since the crackdown on his supporters in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda squares.
At least 627 people were killed in Rabaa al-Adawiya square itself on August 14, according to Egyptian officials, when security forces broke up a sit-in of Morsi's supporters.
The following day, Cairo and Ankara announced they were recalling their respective ambassadors for consultations.
But Erdogan said on Sept 4 that Ambassador Botsali would return to Cairo, while Cairo's envoy was still to return to his post in Ankara.
Turkey's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) government had forged a close alliance with Morsi since he won Egypt's first free presidential election in June 2012.
Morsi was ousted by the army on July 3 following days of mass protests by millions against his turbulent year-long rule.
Millions of Egyptians took to the streets demanding the Islamist leader's resignation, blaming him for ruining an already dilapidated economy, monopolising power and working solely to fulfil the agendas of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, to which he belonged.
Turkey, meanwhile, vows to reciprocate Egypt's expulsion of its envoy.
MORE TO COME
AFP
Sat Nov 23 2013
A filepic of Turkish ambassador to Egypt, Huseyin Avni Botsali. -- AFP photo
TH sedia penginapan bertaraf lima bintang untuk jemaah di Madinah
Tiga hotel yang dipilih terletak antara 50 hingga 200 meter dari Masjid Nabawi, selesa dan mesra OKU.
Permodalan pasaran saham Malaysia catat sejarah tertinggi - melepasi RM2 trilion
Indeks penanda aras FBM KLCI meningkat untuk hari keempat berturut-turut kepada 1,605.68, penutup tertinggi sejak 8 April 2022, diterajui oleh saham pengguna dan perbankan.
Lapangan terbang antarabangsa UK alami masalah sistem E-gate
Isu teknikal yang dialami di lapangan terbang terbesar di UK seperti di Heathrow itu turut menjejaskan kawalan pasport.
Isteri curang, malas masak ditikam dengan berus gigi hingga mati
Siasatan awal mendapati suspek bertindak menikam leher Risma Fatmawati dengan berus gigi kerana berasa sakit hati.
TikTok saman kerajaan AS
Saman difailkan di Mahkamah Rayuan Daerah Colombia atas alasan ia mencabuli Perlembagaan.
Selangor lancar kempen 'Stand With Faisal Halim. Stop The Violence!'
Faisal Halim hanya seorang insan kecil dari Pulau Pinang yang mempunyai impian besar.
Patuh santuni jemaah, petugas haji saban tahun
Kemahiran berkomunikasi, fasih berbahasa Arab, Melayu dan Bahasa Inggeris jadi nilai tambah kepada Pembantu Petugas Haji (PATUH) dalam menyantuni jemaah dan petugas haji dari Malaysia setiap kali ketibaan musim haji.
Operasi Israel di Rafah berbentuk terhad - AS
Operasi itu bertujuan mengekang penyeludupan senjata dan dana kepada kumpulan pejuang Hamas di Gaza.
AWANI Pagi: Harapan Palestin & pupuk sifat sukarelawan anak muda
Ikuti temuramah wartawan Afiezy Azaman dengan Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, Presiden Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (MAPIM) di Kaherah, Mesir berkaitan isu Palestin.
#AWANInews #AWANIpagi
#AWANInews #AWANIpagi
'Henti serang Rafah atau tiada gencatan senjata' - Hamas
Osama Hamdan tegaskan pilihan kini berada di tangan Perdana Menteri Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.