Egypt has debunked reported claims that it hindered a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report that condemned the coup attempt in Turkey.
An official statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry quoted a diplomatic official as saying: “Egypt has no objection to the Security Council report, but it just suggested few amendments.”
“It’s a surprise how Egypt was then accused of ‘obstructing’ the report,” the source said.
Egypt, currently a non-permanent member in the UNSC, suggested amendments to a part of the statement which recommends respecting the “democratically elected government of Turkey”. Instead, Egypt suggested replacing the text with: “respecting democratic, constitutional concepts, and rule of law”.
According to the ministry, an anonymous diplomatic source confirmed that this “slight” amendment does not change the core meaning of the statement. There was no response towards the suggestion made until present.
The UNSC statement tackled three different elements: the council’s concerns towards the security unrest in Turkey, the instability and rising violence, and respect towards the elected government.
Several international news agencies reported on Saturday Egypt’s attempt to obstruct the Security Council’s statement, citing anonymous diplomatic sources.
Meanwhile, the coup attempt sparked wider concerns. UN General Assembly president Mogens Lykketoft said: “I strongly condemn the attempt from groups in the armed forces to overthrow the government of Turkey and express my sincere condolences for the lives lost during the coup attempt.”
Statements by the SC need to be agreed on via consensus of its 15 members.
A number of privately owned media outlets and prominent media figures operating popular talk shows did not hesitate to show their support for the military coup in a way that clearly violates objective reporting.
