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Egypt expels Turkish ambassador | Egypt expels Turkish ambassador |
(35 minutes later) | |
Egypt has told the Turkish ambassador to leave the country and downgraded relations between the two countries. | Egypt has told the Turkish ambassador to leave the country and downgraded relations between the two countries. |
It follows remarks by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Cairo deemed "provocative". | |
Egypt's foreign ministry said relations with Ankara would be lowered to charge d'affaires, blaming Turkey's continued "interference" in its internal affairs. | |
Turkey has been a vocal critic of the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July. | |
Mr Morsi, who is in prison awaiting trial, has denounced as illegitimate the court that is trying him on charges of inciting murder and violence. | |
He is one of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members that have been detained in a crackdown the interim authorities have portrayed as a struggle against "terrorism". | |
Hundreds of people have also been killed in clashes with security forces. | Hundreds of people have also been killed in clashes with security forces. |
Bitter row | Bitter row |
Cairo's decision to expel Ambassador Huseyin Avni Botsali comes a day after Mr Erdogan called for the release of Mr Morsi. | |
The Turkish premier again condemned the violent dispersal of pro-Morsi protesters in August by Egyptian security forces. | |
A bitter row at the time led both countries to recall their ambassadors. Turkey's ambassador to Cairo returned in September, but the Egyptian ambassador to Turkey was never reinstalled. | |
Speaking on Saturday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Mr Erdogan's remarks were "provocative and interfering in Egypt's internal affairs". | |
Turkey is "attempting to influence public opinion against Egyptian interests, supported meetings of organisations that seek to create instability in the country", Badr Abdelatty said. | |
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. | 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. |