Egypt’s FM Says Turkish Position Is Unacceptable to the Egyptian Public Opinion

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry considered that Turkey’s comments on the judicial sentences handed down against President Mohamed Morsi are a setback for future bilateral positive relations.

In an iftar meeting with the editors-in-chief of different Egyptian newspapers, Shoukry said that Turkey’s comments, “are against the will of the Egyptian people… and the Turkish position is unacceptable to Egyptian public opinion,” reported Aswat Masriya.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has posted on its website, “We express our deep concern and condemn the life imprisonment given to President Morsi who has remained in prison since 2013.”

“We believe that this decision will not contribute to Egypt’s peace and stability.”

Earlier this month, the Cairo criminal court sentenced six defendants in the case to death and handed Morsi 40 years in prison.

Morsi, along with 10 co-defendants, were accused of leaking important national security documents and information on the Egyptian Armed Forces to Qatar during Morsi’s presidency.

The first democratically elected President-Mohammed Morsi- received a life sentence (25 years) for leading a “terrorist group” in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, which was blacklisted by the Egyptian authorities in late 2013.

Furthermore, Morsi received 15 years for leaking classified documents but was cleared of the espionage charge. The verdict is subject to appeal.

In the same context, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the mention of Qatar’s name in the verdict issued by Cairo Criminal Court in the case known as ‘Qatar espionage’ and the unjust sentences against President Mohamed Morsi and others.

Director of the Information Office at Qatar’s foreign ministry, ambassador Ahmed Al Rumaihi, said that the verdict is “unfounded, and goes against the truth and contains misleading claims which are contrary to the policy of the State of Qatar towards all sister countries.”

Rumaihi also criticized the charge of espionage for Qatar leveled against the defendants in the case, saying that it is “surprising and unacceptable”.

He added that “such verdicts which lack the proper sense of justice and which are founded on reasons unrelated to the law, but on other known reason, do not help in consolidating the fraternal ties and relations between the sister countries.”

In response, Ahmed Abu Zeid -the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman- said that Qatar’s statement “is not a surprise” from whoever “devoted resources and efforts” over the past years to direct media against the Egyptian people, their state and institutions.

Egyptian ties with both Qatar and Turkey have deteriorated following the military coup that ousted Morsi in July 2013, which followed mass protests against his rule.