CAIRO — Egypt on Saturday downgraded diplomatic relations with Turkey and expelled its ambassador from Cairo, a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries that mounted after a military coup ousted the country’s Islamist president this summer.
In a quick reaction, Turkey reciprocated by declaring the Egyptian ambassador “persona non grata” and downgrading relations with Egypt to the same level. Egypt’s ambassador hadn’t been in the country since August over the turmoil.
The decisions, which fall short of closing diplomatic missions in the two countries, are a dramatic reversal of the warming relations between the two countries over the past year.
Egypt’s interim government has protested remarks by Turkish leaders criticizing the popularly backed military coup that toppled Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Saturday’s decision followed another critical comment by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in the Black Sea coastal city of Trabzon, Erdogan appeared unfazed by the diplomatic snub. He said there would be no shift in his position toward Egypt’s new rulers.
“I will never have respect for those who come to power through coups,” Erdogan said Saturday.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said it considered the Turkish envoy “persona non grata” and asked him to leave the country. The ministry said it will scale back its diplomatic relations with Turkey to the level of charge d’affaires.
“This (Turkish) leadership has persisted in its unacceptable and unjustified positions by trying to turn the international community against Egyptian interests and … by making statements that can only be described as an offense to the popular will,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
A Turkish ministry statement said Egypt’s interim government, “which came to power in exceptional circumstances,” was responsible for the deteriorating relations.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul told reporters that he hoped the two countries’ relations “will be restored soon.” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he thought ties would be restored “once a government elected by the will of the people” comes to power in Egypt.
