Ankara: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel on Tuesday of being behind the military-backed ouster of Egypt’s Islamist president Mohammad Mursi last month.
“What do they say about Egypt: democracy is not the ballot box. Who is behind this? It’s Israel,” Erdogan, an outspoken critic of the Israelis, told a meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“We have the evidence,” he said, citing what he said were comments by an Israeli justice minister to a 2011 forum in France in which he allegedly said Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood would not be able to remain in power even if it won elections.
Mursi was sworn in as Egypt’s first democratically elected leader in June 2012 but was overthrown by the military last month with popular backing.
Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), which had developed friendly ties with Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood, has described his ousting as a “coup”
Turkey’s stance has infuriated Egypt’s military-backed interim government which last month voiced “strong resentment” at Erdogan’s pro-Mursi comments.
Turkey has hardened its tone towards Egypt’s new rulers after last week’s bloody crackdown on Mursi supporters, recalling its ambassador to Cairo, prompting a tit-for-tat move by Egypt.
Daily demonstrations in support of Mursi have since taken place in Turkey and the two countries have cancelled joint naval exercises planned for October.
