8-Year Diplomatic Rift Ends as Turkey, Egypt Exchange Ambassadors
Turkey and Egypt exchanged ambassadors on Tuesday, the first time the two regional powers have done so since 2013.
That year, the two countries withdrew their ambassadors amid tensions over the Egyptian military’s July 3, 2013, ouster of the country’s elected president, Mohammed Morsi. Mori’s one-year rule was highly controversial, with domestic critics calling it an “Islamic coup.”
Morsi was the leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood party, which Turkey’s government supported. The Islamist Justice and Development Party has governed Turkey since 2003.
Egypt’s military-led government designated the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist organization” in December 2013.
Turkey appointed Salih Mutlu Şen as its representative in Cairo, while Egypt appointed Amr Elhamamy as its ambassador to Ankara.
Egypt and Turkey are regional security and diplomatic heavyweights. Since 2020, Turkey has been working to repair its frayed relationships with other countries in the region, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
