ISTANBUL
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Egypt's first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi, whose government comprised of people he appointed as one third while politicians from the previous Hosni Mubaraq regime consisted the two thirds, was overthrown by the military coup and replaced by a coup government.
Performing the Eid al-Fitr prayer at Suleymaniye Mosque and visiting the Mimar Sinan Tomb in Istanbul, Erdogan congratulated the Eid al-Fitr of the Turkish people, extending his wish for embracing many Eid al-Fitr as the Turkish nation in unity and solidarity.
As he spoke to the press, Erdogan stated that he hoped for the justice to be served regarding the Ergenekon coup plot trial whose verdicts have recently been announced as several life and prison sentences were ruled for over 200 people, including the former Chief of General Staff Ilker Basbug, who received a life imprisonment for plotting to topple the government.
He stressed that the verdict was not the final one as the case will be rediscussed at the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals.
Erdogan slammed the statements of the Turkish opposition parties on the Ergenekon case and the announced verdicts, describing them as a crime against law and an effort to intervene the judicial process, especially that of the main opposition leader which claims he did not recognize the jugdes and prosecutors ruling the verdict.
"The most significant prosecutor and judge is the nation itself, there is no other and superior body than that as the last word is spoken by the nation," he said.
Turkish Premier touched upon the democratization package discussed in the Turkish Parliament, saying "I will have the chance during the Eid al-Fitr to review the efforts ever made and after the Eid, we will finalize the package with our colleagues. Parliament may resume efforts after the summer recess, at an earlier time than planned as we will announce the package soon."
Concerning his phone talk with US President Barack Obama, Erdogan stated that they both expressed uneasiness that marginal groups strive and compete to seize up places for themselves as well as the clashes between PYD and Al Qaeda on the Syrian-Turkish border leaving Turkish citizens dead.
Rebuffing the claims that Egypt's first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi did not embrace all the Egyptian people, Turkish PM noted that Morsi, whose government comprised of people he appointed as one third while politicians from the previous Hosni Mubaraq regime consisted the two thirds, was overthrown by the military coup and replaced by a coup government.
"While an economic sanction was imposed on Morsi's government, no countries other than Turkey and Qatar backed up Egypt. Immediately aftermath the military coup, the countries imposing the sanction and turning a deaf ear to the aid demands of Morsi started to pour billions of aid to the coup-based government. The Western countries still fail to call the military coup as a 'coup' but only an 'intervention'," added Erdogan.
Erdogan also expressed his hope over continuing resistance by the Egyptian people in favour of democracy, condemning the suspension of the Egyptian constitution, a constitution approved by 65 per cent of the votes in the Egyptian Parliament.
"We will never give up on supporting and siding with our Egyptian brothers and sisters," he added, highlighting that the West failed at the test of sincerity over the recent incidents in Egypt.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
