Turkey reacts to Egypt’s expulsion of ambassador

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Egypt late Saturday of disrespecting “the sovereignty of the people.”

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry announced Saturday that Egypt will downgrade its relations with Turkey from ambassadorial level to chargé d’affaires.

Speaking in reaction to Egypt’s expulsion of the Turkish ambassador, Erdogan said, “We do not respect those who disrespect the sovereignty of the people,” according to the Anadolu News Agency.

Erdogan added that Turkey would follow Egypt’s step by expelling Egypt’s ambassador to Ankara, giving the diplomat until November 29 to leave the country.

The spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Badr Abdel Aty, said, however, that Egypt had already withdrawn its ambassador.

In an interview with the CBC privately owned television channel late Saturday, Abdel Aty said that Egypt’s escalation of diplomatic tensions came after it had given the Turkish administration several chances to stop what he called “provocative” statements.

Relations between the two countries have worsened following Erdogan’s continued criticism of the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi.

“The responsibility of this saddening situation is under the interim administration in Egypt, which took over in extraordinary circumstances as a result of [the] July 3 coup,” Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. “In any case, deep-rooted relations and brotherly ties between the peoples of Turkey and Egypt will survive.”

The Turkish president, Abdullah Gul, offered a more neutral response to Egypt’s expulsion of the Turkish ambassador on Saturday, telling the national public broadcaster, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, known as TRT, “I hope our relations will again get back on track.”