Egypt Expels Turkish Ambassador, Downgrades Diplomatic Relations

CAIRO — Egypt has told the Turkish ambassador to leave the country and downgraded relations between the two countries. Egypt’s foreign ministry blamed Turkey’s continued “interference” in its country’s internal affairs, the BBC reports.

Turkey’s diplomatic representation has been lowered to the level of charge d’affaires, the ministry said in a statement. Egypt has already recalled its ambassador from Turkey.

Saturday’s decision to expel Huseyin Avni Botsali, the Turkish ambassador, apparently follows remarks made by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister, that Egypt’s government regards as “provocative”.

Turkey has emerged as one of the fiercest international critics of the overthrow of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July, calling it an “unacceptable coup”.

Since Morsi’s election to the president’s office in June 2012, his Muslim Brotherhood organisation has forged close ties with the

Speaking on Saturday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty said Turkey was “attempting to influence public opinion against Egyptian interests, supported meetings of organisations that seek to create instability in the country.”

Earlier this year, Egypt’s interim leader pledged to recognize the Armenian Genocide in response to statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemning “the coup” in Egypt.

“Egypt today [August 17] decided to sign onto the international document recognizing the Armenian Genocide”. Said Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, on his twitter account: “Our representatives at the United Nations will sign the international document that acknowledges the Armenian Genocide, which was committed by the Turkish military, leading to the