Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (DNE/ File Photo/ Mohamed Omar)
Turkey has reinstated their ambassador in Egypt, having recalled him on 15 August for consultations.
Turkish ambassador Huseyin Avni Botsali was expected to return to Cairo on Wednesday, according to AFP.
Badr Abdelatty, official spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday, “We first recalled our ambassador and they responded likewise. Now they have decided to send back their ambassador.”
The spokesperson said that Egypt is “yet to take a decision” on whether or not to send its ambassador back to Turkey, adding that he “will remain in Egypt until a decision is made.”
Relations between Egypt and Turkey have been strained since the ouster of Mohamed Morsi at the beginning of July. Turkey’s Islamist government was closely allied with the Morsi regime and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been vocal in his criticism of the current political climate in Egypt.
Erdoğan faced much criticism and condemnation over a comment he made in which he expressed his disappointment in Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb for favouring “leaders of the coup.” His statement was condemned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the presidency’s media advisor, the Council of Egyptian Churches, Egypt’s Catholic Church.
The Turkish Prime Minister also claimed last month that Israel was behind Morsi’s ouster.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, has warned Turkey to not involve itself in Egypt’s internal affairs several times.
Venezuela also decided to reinstate its ambassador to Egypt, who was also recalled back to the South American nation. As a result Egypt then delayed appointing a new ambassador to Venezuela. Abdelatty said, “When they learned of the situation in Egypt and that it was not a coup but the popular will of the people, the president reconsidered his position.” He added that the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro telephoned Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Fahmy on Tuesday to inform him of the decision and Fahmy said that Egypt would reciprocate.
Pakistani police and private security guards stand alert outside the US consulate in Lahore on August 9, 2013 (AFP, Arif Ali)
AFP – The United States is to reopen all of the embassies it shut this week except the one in Yemen, after re-assessing the Al-Qaeda threat.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington would also keep its consulate in the Pakistani city of Lahore closed, after pulling out staff on Thursday.
The United States had closed some two dozen embassies and consulates since August 4 after reported intelligence intercepts from Al-Qaeda suggested an attack was imminent.
The closures affected virtually all of the Arab world and were eventually extended to include parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Psaki said that 18 of the 19 embassies and consulates subject to the week-long closure would reopen on Sunday, a working day in most Muslim-majority countries.
“Our embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, will remain closed because of ongoing concerns about a threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks emanating from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” Psaki said.
“Our consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, which closed due to a separate credible threat to that facility, will also remain closed,” she added.
Psaki said the United States would keep monitoring threats in Sanaa and Lahore as it decides when to reopen the missions.
President Barack Obama, speaking earlier Friday at a news conference, said that the United States was trying to strengthen countries’ capacity to fight local branches of Al-Qaeda.
“This tightly organized and relatively centralized Al-Qaeda that attacked us on 9/11 has been broken apart,” Obama said. “And it is very weak and does not have a lot of operational capacity.”
But Obama pointed to dangers of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a unit of the extremist group that effectively controls parts of Yemen.
“We still have these regional organizations like AQAP that can pose a threat,” he said.
Regional militants can “drive, potentially, a truck bomb into an embassy wall and can kill some people,” Obama added.
“That requires us, then, to make sure that we have a strategy that is strengthening those partners so that they’ve got their own capacity to deal with what are potentially manageable, regional threats if these countries are a little bit stronger,” he said.
Obama met last week at the White House with Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and praised him for his cooperation with the United States against Al-Qaeda.
At least 12 suspected AQAP militants were killed in three separate drone strikes in Yemen on Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal cited an anonymous US official as saying the leader of AQAP, Nasser al-Wuhayshi, masterminded a plot that sparked the global alert.
Al-Wuhayshi, one of a number of Al Qaeda suspects who broke out of a jail in Yemen in 2006, has been linked to a 2008 attack on the US embassy in Sanaa.
The Obama administration chose to close the embassies last week after facing criticism at home over the deaths of four diplomats, including ambassador Chris Stevens, in an attack by Islamist extremists on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
The threat was also reported at a time when many US lawmakers are questioning the need for pervasive government surveillance on its citizens’ communications.
Obama called his news conference Friday to announce reforms to increase the transparency of intelligence operations.
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zaidan speaks during a press conference with Interior Minister following a rocket attack on a building located in a residential area on July 24, 2013 in Tripoli, Libya. (AFP Photo)
By Mostafa Salem
Libya’s border with Egypt is to be closed following the assassination of an activist and a prison break in Benghazi, Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan announced Saturday.
The murdered activist, Mohamed Abed El-Salam Al-Mosmary, was a prominent anti-Muslim Brotherhood figure and lawyer. He was killed in Benghazi by unidentified individuals near his house on Friday.
The prime minister suspected the assailants may have fled to Egypt and informed the Egyptian authorities of “a number of names of suspected individuals, so that they could be detained as soon as they arrive in Egypt.”
Zeidan explained that Libya had cooperated with the Egyptian ambassador in Tripoli to finalise the closure. He confirmed that “[Libya is] only allowing goods to enter but prohibiting all Libyans from entering Egypt.”
Internal security challenges are on the rise in Libya, where Al-Mosmary’s death sparked protests and were followed by a prison break at Al-Kweifiya.
Zeidan claimed: “the prison was raided by local residents who were discontent with the presence of the prison within the area.”
A diplomatic source in the foreign ministry confirmed the request sent by Libya for the border closure; however, they have yet to receive a list of suspects, according to the source.
Al-Mosmary’s death comes after a series of previous assassinations throughout Libya over the past year.
The number of escaped prisoners is estimated to be over 1,000, putting increased pressure on security forces that are already overwhelmed by the number of protesters taking to the streets.
The US Embassy in Cairo released a statement on Saturday denying any intention to invade Egypt. (AFP File Photo)
The US Embassy in Cairo released a statement on Saturday denying any intention to invade Egypt.
“We deny false claims in Egyptian press that US naval ships are in the vicinity of the Arabian Peninsula and the Suez Canal to militarily invade Egypt,” the statement read.
Two US navy ships moved closer to the Red Sea coast on Thursday, raising suspicions and prompting some report to speculate this came in preparation for military action.
“The United States has forces regularly deployed in the vicinity of the Arabian Peninsula, and US vessels regularly pass through the Suez Canal en route to the Indian Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea,” the statement read.
Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos told the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank on Thursday that the two ships were part of a three-ship amphibious readiness group; the third ship was just off the Bahraini coast.
Amos said that the ships had been in the region since May and that there were no new orders to prepare for a possible conflict in Egypt, according to Reuters.
The US often sends navy vessels to within close range of countries, a procedure usually taken in preparation for evacuation of US citizens.
Egyptians gathered in Geneva Switzerland on Sunday demanding that Morsi steps down (Photo from the Official Page for Al-Dostour Members Abroad)
Expatriate Egyptians protested outside their embassies worldwide on Sunday in coordination with the massive protests within the country.
In London, around 200 people gathered outside the Egyptian embassy to voice the demands of the Tamarod campaign – calling for the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi and early presidential elections, state-owned MENA reported.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party also reported a protest by Egyptians in the northwest of England in support of the president.
Protesters in Paris were also divided, with two rival protests in the French capital in support of and opposition to the president, MENA said.
Dozens of Egyptians residing in Norway gathered outside their embassy in Oslo, demanding Morsi’s departure, MENA reported. As the protesters chanted against the Muslim Brotherhood, police stationed themselves near the embassy to secure the protest.
Al-Dostour Party said Egyptians protested in the Danish capital Copenhagen against Morsi’s government.
An official page for members of Al-Dostour Party abroad also reported that protesters gathered in Stockholm, Sweden; Dublin, Ireland; Toronto, Canada; and in several German cities.
Hundreds of Egyptians raised the Egyptian flag in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York to voice their opposition to President Morsi and the Brotherhood.
Similarly, protesters gathered in Geneva, Switzerland and in Sydney, Australia calling on Morsi to leave.
Egyptians raised a red card to signify their rejection of the government outside the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.
MENA also reported that Yemeni political groups protested outside the Egyptian embassy in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, calling on Morsi to step down in order to prevent bloodshed.
Foreigners flocked to Cairo airport Saturday and Sunday in anticipation of Sunday’s nationwide protests against President Mohamed Morsi. (AFP File Photo)
Foreigners flocked to Cairo airport Saturday and Sunday in anticipation of Sunday’s nationwide protests against President Mohamed Morsi. According to the state-owned news agency Al-Ahram, the chairman of EgyptAir has said 60,000 passengers have left Egypt over the past two days on 254 flights.
This comes after the British, French and US embassies issued warnings to their citizens in Egypt, urging foreigners not to engage in any non-essential travel and to stay away from places where demonstrations are expected, such as the presidential palace and Tahrir square.
The Minister of Civil Aviation Wael Al-Ma’dawi announced in a statement on Sunday that the airport’s security apparatus “is ready to deal with any event at any time.”
Al-Ma’dawi also said all airport staff have been properly prepared to deal with any crisis, and the current events have yet to affect the flow of traffic at the airport, although EgyptAir has recommended passengers show up three hours early to their international flights, and 90 minutes prior to their domestic flights due to the high volume of passengers.
In anticipation of a potentially turbulent period, ATMs in downtown Cairo faced a large number of withdrawals and currency converters are reportedly suspending their services.
Aside from US embassy staffers and their families, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates diplomatic staff have also reportedly left the country, Al-Ahram reported.
The Red Sea director of security Hamdi El-Gazzar held a meeting with his deputies, the criminal investigation, and various other security agencies in the governorate. According to Al-Ahram, El-Gazzar announced a communications department had been set up to receive complaints from citizens, and strict measures have been taken to secure tourist facilities and ports.
The United States embassy in Cairo will be closed to the public on 30 June “in anticipation of demonstrations that may turn violent,” the embassy announced on Monday. (AFP File Photo)
The United States embassy in Cairo will be closed to the public on 30 June “in anticipation of demonstrations that may turn violent,” the embassy announced on Monday.
In a security message, the US embassy advised its citizens to “maintain a low profile” and “restrict movement to the immediate area of their residences and neighbourhoods” beginning on Friday 28 June, “as potentially violent protest activity may occur before 30 June.”
The embassy also warned of potential confrontations between individuals collecting Tamarod signatures and opposing groups in the days leading up to Sunday.
“Even demonstrations or events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence,” noted the security message.
Great Britain’s Foreign Commonwealth Office advised its citizens to “avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings,” adding that they should exercise caution in areas that have government buildings, police stations, security directorates, political party offices, military barracks, the Tahrir Square area, the presidential palace, and Moqattam, where the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters are located.
Demonstrations across the country, both in support of and in opposition to President Mohamed Morsi, are expected to begin on a large scale on Friday. Opposition groups have called for mass demonstrations against the president and Muslim Brotherhood on Sunday 30 June, the one year anniversary of Morsi’s inauguration.
Egyptians carry the coffin of a Shi’a man, who was killed last night along with three others by a mob, during a funeral in El-Sayeda Nafisa Mosque in Cairo on June 24, 2013. (AFP Photo)
Egyptian authorities have arrested eight persons suspected of attacking a group of Shi’a Muslims last Sunday, killing four, including the prominent Sheikh Hassan Shehata. The arrests come three days after the incident, which has garnered widespread condemnation in Egypt and abroad.
The eight suspects were arrested after Giza security forces analysed footage taken by the area’s inhabitants, the state-owned news agency Al-Ahram reported. Residents of Abu Musallam attackeda small gathering of Shi’as after allegedly accusingthem of being under the influence of Iran and attempting to convert Egypt’s Sunni Muslim majority.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign affairs issued a statement condemning the attack, the Iranian Republic News Agency reported on Tuesday. The ministry statement stressed that “the vigilant nation of Egypt will hinder any kind of acts to sow discord in the country,” and condemned “extremist and violent operations which stand against the teachings of Islam, its Holy Book and the Sunnah.”
During his weekly press briefing the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Abbas Araqchi, called the attack a plot by “foreign elements” to sow discord within the Islamic community. Araqchi accused these same elements of having previously tried to sow discord between Christians and Muslims in Egypt.
The National Council for Human Rights also condemned the attack on Monday, saying such behaviour is “incompatible with the basic components of Egyptian society expressed in the constitution such as strength and cohesion.”
The American Embassy in Cairo also denounced the attack. In a written statement, Ambassador Anne Patterson conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased, and said America “joins the Presidency and the Prime Minister’s office in condemning this act of sectarian violence and urging calm.” The embassy also urged the government to follow through with its promise to apprehend the perpetrators and to hold them accountable under the law with “a thorough and transparent investigation.”
The Presidency did condemn the incident; however it made no mention of the incident being sectarian. Amnesty International released a statement on Monday evening demanding that Morsi urgently tackle the unprecedented level of sectarian violence against Shi’a Muslims. Amnesty said the president and his Prime Minister “failed to condemn incitement to violence against Shi’a Muslims.”
“The Egyptian authorities must immediately order an independent and impartial investigation into the killing of the four men, and send a clear message that carrying out attacks and inciting violence against Shi’a Muslims will not be tolerated,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty. “Investigations must look at why security forces yet again failed to stop the bloodshed, as well as whether advocacy of hatred and incitement to violence played a role.”
The statement also said that local residents had reported Salafi and other Islamist groups inciting hatred and violence against the Shi’a community over the past few weeks, including during Friday sermons, where they distributed pamphlets calling for their expulsion from the area.
Amnesty further reported that Morsi has “failed to disassociate himself and his government from the hatred and incitement against Shi’as” during a conference held on 16 June in support of the Syrian uprising. Several prominent Salafi Sheikhs “used sectarian and inflammatory language to condemn attacks against Sunnis in Syria’s armed conflict.”
One such example lies in the speech delivered by Sheikh Mohammed Hassan, who during the conference called on Morsi not to allow Shi’as into Egypt so that they could not corrupt the country.
“President Morsi failed to signal that attacks against Shi’a Muslims will not be tolerated,” said Hadj Sahraoui, referring to the conference. “The mere condemnation of the attack by President Morsi will not be enough to stop the growing intolerance towards Shi’as in Egypt. Unless the perpetrators of these attacks in Giza are punished, the impunity will embolden others.”
Mohamed Adeeb protests against Essam Al-Erian’s “aggressive” statements on the UAE outside the Emirate embassy in Giza (Photo Aaron T Rose)
The public prosecution of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) referred on Wednesday 30 Egyptians and Emiratis to trial for establishing an illegal branch of the international Muslim Brotherhood organisation in the UAE.
Emirati State Security Prosecutor General Ahmed Al-Dhanhani stated that the public prosecution investigations with the 30 defendants concluded that they established and administered the branch without a permit, reported AFP.
Al-Dhanhani accused the defendants of creating an administrative structure to recruit new members for the organisation. He added in an official statement that they also raised funds for the organisation through collecting donations, Zakat (Islamic alms) and membership fees.
“The defendants got financial support from a secret organisation,” Al-Dhanhani claimed in his statement, adding that the secret organisation involves over 100 Emiratis. “The organisation aimed to topple then replace the Emirati regime.”
Al-Dhanhani added that the 30 defendants published banned documents, pictures and maps of “a certain Emirati governmental department”.
Eleven Egyptians were arrestedin the UAE simultaneously starting November 2012, accused of leading a Muslim Brotherhood cell and conspiring to incite a Brotherhood-backed revolt against the Emirati government.
The detainees confirmed their affiliation with the Brotherhood, but denied their involvement in any political activity.
On Monday, Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Vice Chairman Essam Al-Erian had criticised the Emirati government during the Arab Affairs Committee meeting at the Shura Council, describing their behaviour towards Egyptian detainees there as “disgraceful”, adding that “Egypt’s patience has ended”.
Al-Erian’s statements caused a myriad of criticism both on a national level and from the Emirati side. Over twenty protesters gathered outside the UAE embassy in Giza on Wednesday to condemn the statements and apologise to the Emirati government.
Protesters belonged to the Egyptian National Movement Party, led by former presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq, as well as the Front for Retired Military Men. They chanted for the Emirati people, attacking Al-Erian and calling him a ‘Zionist’.
Nahla Mohamed, a member of the Egyptian National Movement Party who took part in the protest, said that she refuses any insult thrown at an Arab country.
“I’ve been to the UAE myself,” Mohamed said, “I know how [well] Egyptians are treated there.”
Commenting on the referral of 30 defendants to trial, Mohamed said that each state has the right to protect itself against “riots” and possible threats.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statementon Tuesday emphasising that Egypt cherishes its “brotherly” ties to the UAE and that both countries have historical bonds and shared interests which cannot be impaired by “empty” statements.
The detainees’ case has increased tensions and strained relations between the two countries, which have worsened since the January 25 Revolution in Egypt.
President Mohamed Morsi delivers a speech during the National Conference for the Support of the Syrian Revolution )Photo Presidency handout)
Syrian opposition groups have welcomed President Mohamed Morsi’s support for their uprising against Bashar Al-Assad’s regime voiced in a speech on Saturday. Meanwhile Egyptian opposition leaders have criticised the timing of his announcement ahead of planned anti-Morsi protests on 30 June.
During his address to tens of thousands of his supporters at the Cairo International Stadium, Morsi announced new policies towards Syria, the boldest of which was the decision to sever diplomatic ties, close the Syrian embassy in Cairo and withdraw Egypt’s diplomatic mission from Damascus.
The speech was part of the National Conference for the Support of the Syrian Revolution, a series of events held over the past week. High-profile members of the Brotherhood and Sunni clerics were among the attendees, some also speaking at the event.
The Free Syrian Army Joint Command (FSAJC) welcomed “the historic stances of the Egyptian people expressed by President Morsi,” reported state-run news agency MENA.
Fahd Al-Masry, the media spokesperson of FSAJC, said Morsi’s speech “eased their suffering and pain,” and expressed his wish that the Egyptian government take steps to implement its stance.
He added that he hoped the “courageous” Egyptian military would support the Syrian people, who continue to endure violence across the country.
Reactions to Morsi’s speech varied among political figures and groups
Said Nader Bakkar, vice-chairman for media affairs of the Salafi Al-Nour Party: “We didn’t take part in the conference on Syria due to our reservation on the increased number of events held by the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) prior to 30 June.”
In his statement, Bakkar asked Morsi to resolve the contradiction between what he said in Moscow about adopting a stance similar to Russia’s, supportive of Al-Assad’s government, and what he said on Saturday about severing relations with the regime.
“The speech was more of a show to threaten those who will protest on 30 June,” said Heba Yassin, media spokesperson for opposition coalition Al-Tayar Al-Sha’aby.
“Speakers accused [opposition groups] of infidelity and the president did not refute these accusations.”
She added that the conference was attended only by the president’s supporters even though Morsi claims to be the president for all Egyptians.
“With every speech he gives, Morsi’s popularity declines and he proves he is incapable of running the country,” Yassin said.
She stressed that only the Syrian people have the right to decide their destiny and no one should interfere in their affairs. “Islamists limited the situation in Syria to a sectarian struggle between Sunnis and Shi’as, not a struggle against an oppressive regime.”
The 6 April Youth Movement released a statement denouncing the speech, saying it demonstrated how Morsi’s regime lacks decisive direction and clear political vision, “whereas the situation in Syria is complicated and requires prioritising stopping the bloodshed.”
Former member of parliament and professor of political science Amr Hamzawy said he suspected cutting relations with Syria was a political bargain with Salafis to gain their support against opposition protests on 30 June.
Hamzawy added that severing ties should not come amid abhorrent sectarianism which President Morsi seemed to promote on Saturday.
“This presidency proves its failure every day, ending it through early presidential elections has become an absolute necessity,” Hamzawy said on his Twitter account.
Morsi said Egypt had begun arranging with Arab and Islamic countries an urgent summit to support the Syrian people.
Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Ben Heli welcomed President Morsi’s call for a summit on Syria, though on Sunday Ben Heli stated the Arab League has not yet received any official request to hold the summit.
On Saturday, Morsi accused Al-Assad’s regime of “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” against the Syrian people, and he vowed to provide financial and moral support to the uprising.
He said Egypt’s involvement came at the request of the Syrian people. “We will not let them down,” Morsi said.
The president said he is collaborating with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Red Crescent as well as civil society organisations to coordinate the delivery of aid to rebels in Syria and Syrian refugees in Egypt.
Morsi called on the Egyptian people to welcome Syrian refugees and treat them as brothers.
Although he opposed western military or political interference in Syria, he called on the international community to implement a no-fly zone over the country.
He also criticised the military intervention of the Lebanese Shi’a militant group Hezbollah which has allied with Al-Assad’s forces against the Free Syrian Army.
Morsi also highlighted what he described as attempts “by loyalists of the old regime” to tear apart the growing stability in Egypt and push the country towards chaos.
“They want to challenge the will of the people, which produced the elections, and will continue to build state institutions,” he said.
He added that some people planned to use violence “out of misunderstanding of the concept of freedom.”