Egyptian authorities said Saturday that they were expelling the Turkish ambassador for "provocative" criticisms of the government made by the prime minister of Turkey, in a move to sever diplomatic relations with one of the Middle East's most prominent players.

Turkey retaliated by declaring Egypt's ambassador to the country permanently unwelcome. Shortly afterward, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared on a live televised broadcast, saying, "I will never respect those who come to power through military coups."

"We never respect those who do not respect people’s right to sovereignty," he said.

Before the ousting of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi last July, Turkey had served as one of Egypt's important allies. Since then, it has emerged as one of the government's fierciest critics, according to Reuters.

Egypt accused Turkey of "attempting to influence public opinion against Egyptian interests, supported meetings of organizations that seek to create instability in the country." Within hours of the change in government, Ankara publicly condemned the role of the Egyptian military, and urged other nations to follow suit. Erdogan fostered a high-profile relationship with Morsi himself, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. 

The plea was largely ignored by its allies, resulting in an isolation of Turkey on a global level, reported International Policy Digest.

 

Reach Executive Producer Michelle Toh here.