Egypt, Turkey to Exchange Ambassadors, First Time Since 2013
According to the office of the Egyptian President, Turkey and Egypt will swap ambassadors for the first time since 2013. The official announcement reads below:
“President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi made a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where the President congratulated President Erdogan on his victory in the presidential elections and his re-election as President of Turkey for a new presidential term. For his part, the Turkish President expressed his appreciation for this kind gesture from the President.
The official spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic stated that the two presidents affirmed the depth of the historical ties that bind the two countries and the Egyptian and Turkish peoples, and agreed to strengthen the bonds of relations and cooperation between the two sides, and in that context, the two presidents decided to start immediately to upgrade diplomatic relations between the two countries and exchange ambassadors.”
Egypt and Turkey recalled their ambassadors in 2013 after the overthrow of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and the souring of relations between Istanbul and the interim Egyptian President at the time.
The post overthrow diplomatic spat concerned recognition of the Armenian genocide and Istanbul’s close ties to the Morsi government.
On 23 November 2013, the Egyptian government expelled the Turkish ambassador to the country, Huseyin Avni Botsali, and recalled their ambassador from Ankara indefinitely after several months of tensions with Turkey’s ruling AKP-led government.
In response, Turkey also barred the Egyptian ambassador, who was out of the country at the time, and declared him a persona non grata.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Badr Abdelatty accused Erdogan of meddling in the country’s internal affairs by raising public opinion against the Egyptian government and supporting proscribed organizations that are bent on destabilizing the nation. (Wiki)
The declaration came a day after Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated his criticism of Egypt’s interim government and his call for the urgent release of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
Personal relations between Erdogan and Egyptian President al-Sisi worsened after his appointment, with the Turkish Foreign Ministry decrying him as a tyrant. However, in 2021 the Erdogan government had ordered the Muslim Brotherhood to halt public criticism of the Egyptian government, a small sign that tensions were easing.
