How Did Turkey Lose Egypt?
Statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the coup in Egypt have set back Egyptian diplomacy and popularity with the Egyptian street.
Some Egyptians have found the easy way out. To avoid arguing with contrarian interlocutors whether the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood from power was a coup, a military intervention or a revolution, they simply say "July 3" and leave it up to you to attribute whatever characteristics you wish to affix to it.
But there are times when the "July 3 formula" will not work — relations with the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) Turkey is just such a time, as the Islamist AKP government in Ankara has no compunction when assessing the relations between the two countries in the context of preserving significant mutual interests, and as such, avoid arguing with the new military rule.
AKP representatives, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are not content with labeling the July 3 change of power in Egypt a coup. AKP's Turkey feels that the coup was against its own principles and identifies fully with the Muslim Brotherhood. This is why the AKP's reactions to developments in Egypt turned out to be disproportionate and excessively harsh. AKP’s indignation with the coup produced a counter-reaction from a large segment of the Egyptian population and new administration which are opposed to the Muslim Brotherhood.
As a result, we end up with a crisis in bilateral relations, best explained by finding out where the ambassadors to Ankara and Cairo actually are now.
