Civil, political leaders react to Turkish PM’s comments

Denunciations of comments by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued from a wide swath of the political and religious establishment on Tuesday. Erdogan had said that history “would curse” the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayyeb for his role in supporting the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi.

Tayyeb appeared alongside a number of military and political figures on July 3 in what was intended to be a presentation of national unity to announce a transition plan after Morsi was pushed out by the military following massive protests.

Flagship state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram carried a number of statements from different political leaders reacting to Erdogan’s comments.

Al-Azhar, describing itself as “indignant,” issued a statement denouncing the “sacrilege of the Imam.”

Interim Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi denounced Erdogan's remarks, asserting that Tayyeb is a religious symbol representing Egypt as well as the Arab and Muslim worlds, and spreads tolerant teachings.

Mohamed Anwar Sadat, president of the Reform and Development Party, took a more aggressive tone. He asked interim President Adly Mansour to stand up to Erdogan’s statements in an “immediate and frank reply to the humiliation suffered by Egyptians.”

In a jab, he said that the comments reflected Erdogan losing “his dream of the return of the Ottoman Empire.”

Erdogan and Morsi had penned 27 agreements – with trade agreements amounting to some US$5 billion – some of which were cancelled by Turkey as a punitive measure after the ouster of former President Morsi.

The Coptic Catholic Church issued a statement saying that Tayyeb has a stature that goes beyond “petty insults.”

Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy refused a Turkish request to increase the size of its diplomatic mission in response to Erdogan’s comments.

“We cannot remain silent on these statements,” Fahmy said in a press conference, the state owned news agency MENA reported. “We face our challenges objectively, and I measure every step and not just in words and reaction, because Egypt is above that.”

Tayyeb told a group of Turkish students who recently were inducted to Al-Azhar that political disputes did not affect how they would be treated at the university.