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Turkey Condemns Egypt's Coup

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party has strongly denounced Mohammed Morsi's ouster and subsequent attacks on Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
Supporters of Egypt's deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood wave Egyptian flags during a rally in protest against the recent violence in Egypt, outside of the Eminonu New mosque in Istanbul August 17, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY  - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX12P9I

Since the beginning of the July 3 military coup in Egypt, probably no other country in the world has condemned it as passionately as Turkey has done. Millions of Turks, on the streets and online, have boldly opposed the deposing of President Mohammad Morsi and the violent oppression of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Turkish government spoke rigorously against not only the initiaters of the coup but also their international allies — from Washington to Tel Aviv to Riyadh. Ankara canceled a planned military exercise with the Egyptian military and pulled back its ambassador from Cairo.

As a Turk, I must say that I, too, share much of this reaction to Egypt's coup, which has not only derailed a very nascent democracy but has also killed hundreds of peaceful protesters. I believe it is an illegal, illegitimate, brutal and tyrannical era in Egyptian history that does great harm to this pivotal Arab country.

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