Egypt blasts Turkey and Al Jazeera for destabilising tactics

Egypt has condemned Turkey’s “double standard” after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Cairo of providing “support” for the Gulen movement, which Ankara says orchestrated a failed coup attempt earlier this year.

Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera that aired last week, Erdogan reiterated the difference between “the Egyptian people and the administration”.

“We love the nation like it was ours and that’s why we have provided all support to them but we are against coup governments and the violation of freedoms. We will stand with the Egyptian people in their fight for democracy,” Erdogan continued.

The Egyptian foreign ministry responded to Erdogan’s “irresponsible” statements and blasted Turkey’s “double standard approach” over the past years according to spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid.

Abu Zeid went on to question Erdogan’s human rights and democracy records particularly the mass arrests that followed the failed coup attempt in July.

The foreign ministry said Ankara and Al Jazeera were collaborating to “destabilise Egypt”, as Erdogan’s interview was aired the evening before planned protests were to be held across Egypt. They also accused the banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation of instigating the demonstrations and of being a “close ally” of Erdogan’s government.