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Egyptians Respond with Diplomatic, Economic Measures After Turkish PM Slams Top Cleric
A crisis in relations between Turkey and Egypt, driven in large measure by Turkish anger over the army deposing Egypts former president Mohammed Morsi, my be impacting not just Ankaras regional position but its economic status.
This week Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan scolded the head of Cairos Al-Azhar religious seminary for assenting to the Egyptian militarys moves to strip the countrys former Islamist regime of power. Erdogan said he was disappointed that Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb had sided with Egypts military over the Muslim Brotherhood-linked government.
Al-Tayeb, the Turkish premier declared, was finished. He went further, insisting that history will curse Al-Azhar Imam as it cursed religious intellectuals in Turkey before, an apparent reference to Turkish religious figures who collaborated with the countrys former military rulers.
In response, a spokesman for Egypts military-linked presidency denounced Erdogan as a man of no religious culture. For its part Al-Azhar responded with a condemnation, asserting that al-Tayeb was t considered a symbol of Egyptians alone, but also occupies a lofty status in the Arab and Islamic worlds. The university called for a formal retraction.
The General Union for the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce responded to the comments by announcing that it was suspending relations with Turkey. The Turkish-Egyptian Businessmens Association subsequently voiced concerns over how bilateral tensions were impacting the Turkish economy.
Even Egypts Christian leaders jumped to the Muslim leaders defense. The ecumenical Egyptian council of churches noted that the imam is of high stature, honest patriotism and honorable history. The countrys Catholic Church added that Al-Azhar is a beacon of moderate Islam throughout the whole world and a symbol for Egyptians, both Muslims and Christians. The state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported that Coptic Pope Tawadros II even telephoned al-Tayeb to condemn the incident.
A crisis in relations between Turkey and Egypt, driven in large measure by Turkish anger over the army deposing Egypts former president Mohammed Morsi, my be impacting not just Ankaras regional position but its economic status.
This week Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan scolded the head of Cairos Al-Azhar religious seminary for assenting to the Egyptian militarys moves to strip the countrys former Islamist regime of power. Erdogan said he was disappointed that Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb had sided with Egypts military over the Muslim Brotherhood-linked government.
Al-Tayeb, the Turkish premier declared, was finished. He went further, insisting that history will curse Al-Azhar Imam as it cursed religious intellectuals in Turkey before, an apparent reference to Turkish religious figures who collaborated with the countrys former military rulers.
In response, a spokesman for Egypts military-linked presidency denounced Erdogan as a man of no religious culture. For its part Al-Azhar responded with a condemnation, asserting that al-Tayeb was t considered a symbol of Egyptians alone, but also occupies a lofty status in the Arab and Islamic worlds. The university called for a formal retraction.
The General Union for the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce responded to the comments by announcing that it was suspending relations with Turkey. The Turkish-Egyptian Businessmens Association subsequently voiced concerns over how bilateral tensions were impacting the Turkish economy.
Even Egypts Christian leaders jumped to the Muslim leaders defense. The ecumenical Egyptian council of churches noted that the imam is of high stature, honest patriotism and honorable history. The countrys Catholic Church added that Al-Azhar is a beacon of moderate Islam throughout the whole world and a symbol for Egyptians, both Muslims and Christians. The state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported that Coptic Pope Tawadros II even telephoned al-Tayeb to condemn the incident.
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