Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s planned visit to the Gaza Strip this month was canceled by Egypt due to his support for the Muslim Brotherhood, Ahram Online reported on Tuesday, citing Turkish newspaper Vatan.
Diplomatic sources in Cairo also told Egyptian website Youm 7 on Sunday that Egypt had refused to allow Erdogan to enter Gaza via its border.
Erdogan’s primary reason for visiting Gaza was to persuade Israel to lift its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, the sources added.
He said that as of Saturday night, Turkey would no longer acknowledge the interim Egyptian government, Zaman newspaper reported.
“There is a nation whose rights have been violated in Egypt. Can someone respect this? It is not possible for me to respect this. Turkey suffered a lot from military coups. We paid the price, and we want that our brothers don’t have to pay this [price],” Erdogan said, referring to the overthrow of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, who hails from the Brotherhood.
Erdogan is left with only one other route to Gaza, via Israel, with which he has clashed diplomatically in the past.
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