Egypt’s ambassador to Ankara rebuffed an invitation by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a Ramadan iftar meal organized for foreign ambassadors.
Abdel Rahman Salah Eddin told state-run MENA that he recused himself from the event, but did not give justification.
Turkey, a close ally to the regime of toppled president Mohamed Morsy, has been openly critical of the Egyptian army’s decision two weeks ago to remove the president from office following mass popular demonstrations demanding early elections.
Erdogan, during the breakfast, reportedly defended his country’s stance on the situation in Egypt, stressing that Turkey does not defend certain personalities or institutions, probably referring to Morsy and his group, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday that Turkey still recognizes Mohamed Morsy as Egypt’s legitimate president.
The statement drew criticism from Egypt’s foreign ministry, whose spokesperson said Tuesday that his country was “dismayed” by the Turkish stance on the changes in Egypt.
Edited translation from MENA
