Erdogan's Sisi remarks 'unacceptable': Egypt FM
World |
"The [Turkish] premier's remarks are totally unacceptable and are not worthy from a leader of an ancient state like Turkey," Shoukry said during a press conference with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Friday that remarks made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan against Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi are "unacceptable."
Erdogan's remarks were "out of line with diplomatic rules that regulate leaders' talk and failed to recognize the will of the Egyptian people who elected al-Sisi as president with a massive majority," the top Egyptian diplomat said.
Earlier Friday, Erdogan criticized al-Sisi and accused him of being another factor that blocked humanitarian aid to the embattled Gaza Strip. "Egypt, instructed by Israel, has blocked ways of humanitarian aid to Gaza... Sisi is a tyrant, as well," said Erdogan.
Pointing to Egypt's proposed ceasefire between Gaza-based Palestinian factions and Israel on Monday, Erdogan said it was all efforts to legitimize the regime in Egypt: "Egypt is not a party in this issue."
But Shoukry hit back at Erdogan's remarks, saying they "have no link with the situation in Gaza and do not help protecting the people of Gaza."
"Erdogan should have rather worked to positively encourage all the concerned parties to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and save children and women instead of using the Palestinian blood this way," the Egyptian minister added.
On July 7, Israel launched a blistering military offensive against the Gaza Strip with the ostensible aim of halting Palestinian rocket fire.
On Thursday night, it stepped up its offensive to include ground operations inside the embattled coastal enclave.
Egypt issued its ceasefire proposal earlier this week. While Israel initially accepted the plan, it was rejected by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which said they were never consulted to discuss the plan's terms.
The two groups also asserted that the Egyptian initiative failed to address core demands of the Palestinian resistance.
At least 284 Palestinians have been killed and around 2210 injured, many seriously in unrelenting airstrikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip since Israel's operation began early last week, according to Gaza health officials.
Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to lob rockets at Israel some of which have reached Tel Aviv in response to the deadly airstrikes, which continued unabated on Friday.
Since hostilities began 12 days ago, two Israelis have been killed a civilian killed by rocket fire from Gaza and a soldier taking part in the ongoing ground assault.
Israel's military offensive, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major assault on the densely populated Gaza Strip home to some 1.8 million Palestinians in the last six years.
Relations between Cairo and Ankara soured last summer after the Egyptian army ousted elected president Mohamed Morsi.
Last November, Egypt downgraded its diplomatic relations with Turkey to the level of charge d'affaires and recalled its ambassador from Ankara. Turkey responded with similar measures.
Al-Sisi, the former army chief widely seen as the architect of Morsi's ouster and subsequent imprisonment, was elected president in May polls.
Erdogan's remarks were "out of line with diplomatic rules that regulate leaders' talk and failed to recognize the will of the Egyptian people who elected al-Sisi as president with a massive majority," the top Egyptian diplomat said.
Earlier Friday, Erdogan criticized al-Sisi and accused him of being another factor that blocked humanitarian aid to the embattled Gaza Strip. "Egypt, instructed by Israel, has blocked ways of humanitarian aid to Gaza... Sisi is a tyrant, as well," said Erdogan.
Pointing to Egypt's proposed ceasefire between Gaza-based Palestinian factions and Israel on Monday, Erdogan said it was all efforts to legitimize the regime in Egypt: "Egypt is not a party in this issue."
But Shoukry hit back at Erdogan's remarks, saying they "have no link with the situation in Gaza and do not help protecting the people of Gaza."
"Erdogan should have rather worked to positively encourage all the concerned parties to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and save children and women instead of using the Palestinian blood this way," the Egyptian minister added.
On July 7, Israel launched a blistering military offensive against the Gaza Strip with the ostensible aim of halting Palestinian rocket fire.
On Thursday night, it stepped up its offensive to include ground operations inside the embattled coastal enclave.
Egypt issued its ceasefire proposal earlier this week. While Israel initially accepted the plan, it was rejected by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which said they were never consulted to discuss the plan's terms.
The two groups also asserted that the Egyptian initiative failed to address core demands of the Palestinian resistance.
At least 284 Palestinians have been killed and around 2210 injured, many seriously in unrelenting airstrikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip since Israel's operation began early last week, according to Gaza health officials.
Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to lob rockets at Israel some of which have reached Tel Aviv in response to the deadly airstrikes, which continued unabated on Friday.
Since hostilities began 12 days ago, two Israelis have been killed a civilian killed by rocket fire from Gaza and a soldier taking part in the ongoing ground assault.
Israel's military offensive, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major assault on the densely populated Gaza Strip home to some 1.8 million Palestinians in the last six years.
Relations between Cairo and Ankara soured last summer after the Egyptian army ousted elected president Mohamed Morsi.
Last November, Egypt downgraded its diplomatic relations with Turkey to the level of charge d'affaires and recalled its ambassador from Ankara. Turkey responded with similar measures.
Al-Sisi, the former army chief widely seen as the architect of Morsi's ouster and subsequent imprisonment, was elected president in May polls.
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