Iran Condemns Egypt 'Massacre' and Turkey Urges 'Immediate' World Action to Halt Violence
Iran condemned what it called a "massacre" in Egypt as police moved on Wednesday to clear protests in Cairo by supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi, Fars news agency reported.
The crackdown by Egypt's security forces on two protest camps in the capital quickly turned into a bloodbath, with dozens of people killed and scores injured.
"Iran is following the bitter events in Egypt closely, disapproves of the violent actions, condemns the massacre of the population and warns of the serious consequences," the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by Fars.
"This approach reinforces the possibility of a civil war in the great Islamic country of Egypt," said the statement.
It called on "all sides to exercise restraint" while encouraging "national dialogue and the democratic process" to end the country's political crisis, sparked by the ousting of Morsi in a military coup on July 3.
Iran and Egypt have not had diplomatic relations for more than 30 years because of Cairo's 1979 peace agreement with Israel.
However, Iran began reaching out to Egypt when Islamists led by Morsi came to power in the wake of the 2011 revolution that ousted veteran president Hosni Mubarak, a staunch critic of Tehran.
In March, Egypt and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to promote tourism between the two countries. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the first Iranian president to visit Cairo in more than 30 years, was given a red-carpet welcome by Morsi when he arrived in February.
Morsi meanwhile attended a Non-Aligned Summit in Iran, becoming the first Egyptian president to travel to Tehran since the Islamic revolution.
Meanwhile, Turkey branded the deadly crackdown in Egypt on protesters as "unacceptable" and called on the international community to act immediately to halt the "massacre".
"An armed intervention against civilian people who stage protests is unacceptable, regardless of its justification," President Abdullah Gul said in televised remarks, voicing fears Egypt's crisis could deteriorate into a situation similar to the conflict in neighboring Syria.
"I'm afraid Egypt is heading into inextricable chaos, " he warned.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office also called on the international community to act immediately to halt the crackdown, saying its silence over the Egypt crisis was to blame.
"The international community, particularly the U.N. Security Council and Arab League, must act immediately to stop this massacre," it said.
Security forces moved in Wednesday on two huge Cairo protest camps set up by Morsi supporters, launching an operation that quickly turned into a bloodbath with dozens of people dead.
"It's clearly seen that the international community's support for the military coup and its silence to previous massacres ... has encouraged the current administration for today's intervention," Erdogan's office said.
Morsi, Egypt's first elected president, was overthrown by the military on July 3 with popular backing.
Erdogan's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), which had developed friendly ties with Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood, has described the toppling of Morsi as a "coup" and said he was the only legitimate president.
Turkey's stance has infuriated Egypt's interim government which last month voiced "strong resentment" at Erdogan's comments backing the ousted Islamist leader.
Source: Agence France Presse
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