Caravan News
ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lambasted Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over recent execution of nine people in Egypt and refused to talk to ‘someone like him’.
In an interview with Turkish TV channels CNN-Turk and Kanal D, Turkish President said “They killed nine young people recently. This is not something we can accept”. He was referring to the execution on Wednesday of men sentenced for the murder of the Egyptian prosecutor general in 2015.
Calling Egypt’ s system ‘totalitarian’, Erdogan said “Of course, we are going to be told that it is a decision of the judiciary, but there, justice, elections, all that, are nonsense. There is an authoritarian system, even totalitarian”.
“Now, I am answering those who wonder why Tayyip Erdogan does not speak to Sisi, because there are mediators who come here sometimes, but I will never talk to someone like him,” he said.
Relations between Turkey and Egypt have been virtually non-existent since the Egyptian military, then led by Sisi, overthrew democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 – a close ally of Erdogan.
Hundreds of Morsi supporters have been sentenced to death, while Morsi and top Muslim Brotherhood figures have also faced trial.
Egypt outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood and branded it a terrorist organisation in December 2013, just months after Morsi’s removal.
Many of the death sentences have been handed down at mass trials involving hundreds of defendants and lasting just days.
The Turkish president called for the release of Muslim Brotherhood prisoners in Egypt.
“First of all, he should release all those imprisoned with a general amnesty. As long as these people have not been released, we will not be able to talk with Sisi,” he said.
Erdogan also attacked Western countries which, he said, “roll out the red carpet” for Sisi and turn a blind eye to the latest executions in Egypt.
“Where are the Westerners? Have you heard their voices?” he said.
“On the other hand, when it comes to people imprisoned in our country (Turkey), they scream bloody murder.”
Amnesty International condemned the executions of the nine men, who it said were convicted in trials marred by torture allegations.
The comments come as Arab and European leaders convene in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh for the first EU-Arab League summit on Sunday.