Turkey slams Egypt's protest at UN coup attempt statement

Turkey’s foreign ministry said Sunday that Egypt’s objection to the “democratically elected government” phrase in a UN Security Council statement condemning the recent coup attempt in Turkey was “meaningful”.

Foreign ministry’s spokesman Tanju Bilgic said Egypt’s opposition was natural because the government there had come to power via a coup.

“It is natural for those who have come to power through coup to refrain from taking a stance against the coup attempt aimed at our president and government, who came to office through democratic elections,” Bilgic said during a press conference.

A council statement Saturday that condemned the coup attempt and called on all parties in Turkey to respect the country’s “democratically elected government” failed to be adopted after Egypt’s objection to the terminology.

Cairo said the council was not in the position to qualify a government as democratically elected or otherwise, according to diplomatic sources.

Egypt is one of 10 nonpermanent UN Security Council member states.

The 15-member Security Council requires unanimity to issue all statements.