Erdogan says Egypt should free Mursi before it can restore ties
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Egypt should free ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi from jail and lift death sentences against his supporters before Ankara could consider an improvement in relations with Cairo, Reuters reported.
Ties between the two former allies have been strained since then Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toppled elected President Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 after mass protests against his rule.
Egyptian security forces then mounted one of the fiercest crackdowns against the Islamist movement, killings hundreds of supporters at a Cairo protest camp, arresting thousands and putting Mursi and other leaders on trial.
"Mr Mursi is a president elected by 52 percent of the votes. They should give him his freedom," Erdogan was quoted by Turkish newspapers as telling reporters traveling on his plane as he returned from an official visit to Iran.
An official from Erdogan's office confirmed his comments.