Turkish opposition party visits Cairo, seeks better relations

Turkey’s main opposition party sent a delegation to Egypt on Monday for a three-day visit, in the midst of deteriorating relations between the two countries.

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairman Faruk Logoglu and deputy head Osman Koruturk are both part of the delegation.

Turkey has harshly condemned the actions of the Egyptian Armed Forces and interim government since former President Mohamed Morsi’s ouster on July 3. In statements published in the state-owned Middle East News Agency (MENA) on Monday, Logoglu countered the government line, arguing that Egypt doesn’t need anyone to give it lessons in democracy.

His party issued a statement on Wednesday saying that good relations between the two nations were essential to foster peace, stability and development in the region.

The delegation aims to discuss a wide variety of possible collaborations between Egypt and Turkey, including cooperating on the democratic transition and engaging in discussions with political forces, media outlets and civil society organizations, the CHP said in a statement issued last Tuesday.

However, the delegation would not meet with Armed Forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as the party does consider the events of July 3 to be a coup, Logoglu said. At the same time, the party is not taking Morsi’s side, but sides only with the Egyptian people, he declared.

Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly slammed Morsi’s removal from office, retaliating with punitive measures such as cancelling joint military training. Turkey briefly recalled its ambassador in Cairo, and the Egyptian Foreign Ministry also recalled its envoy from Turkey. The ministry said the envoy would not return to Ankara until Turkey withdrew from its hostile position and stopped interfering in Egyptian affairs.

Erdogan spoke out against the CHP’s visit, accusing the party of desiring to bring the possibility of the coup from Egypt to Turkey.