Turkish Deputy PM says he hopes Morsi trial won’t be ‘a shame’ for Egypt

ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

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Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said today that he hoped the trial of Morsi would not turn out to be a “shame” for the Egyptian judicial system.

“It seems that Morsi will be kept in jail. I hope we will not see a result that would be shameful for the Egyptian judicial system at the end of this trial,” Arınç said, speaking at the end of the Cabinet meeting in Ankara, according to Anadolu Agency.

He added that the Turkish government had only one demand in Egypt: Ensuring that elections will take place with the participation of all segments of society and for the people’s choice to be respected, instead of creating such “artificial courts.”

Arınç also said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent visit to the country “might be regarded as useful” if Kerry made efforts in this respect.

Arınç’s remarks were followed by a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry that reiterated his calls over Morsi. 

“We believe that it would contribute to the creation of dialogue and consensus in the country when all political detainees are released, including elected President Morsi, in accordance with our principled approach,” the statement said.

“Turkey has always followed the principle of legitimacy and supported the legitimate governments that reflect the people’s will. In this respect, Turkey believes that steps should be taken with regard to democratic principles and constitutional legitimacy, which are necessary to sustain the political process on which all segments had consensus, in order to secure the internal peace of our brother and friend Egypt, as well as for regional stability,” the statement added.