Egypt Expels Turkish Ambassador

Diplomatic relations between Egypt and Turkey reached a breaking point on Saturday as Egypt announced it had expelled the Turkish ambassador because of “provocative” criticisms about Cairo made by Turkey’s prime minister. The announcement also said that Egypt’s ambassador to Turkey would be permanently recalled, cutting almost all ties with the country. Turkey, formerly one of Egypt’s most prominent allies, responded by also downgrading diplomatic relations and declaring the Egyptian ambassador “persona non grata.” It blamed the dispute on Egypt’s “temporary administration” and said it looked forward to relations being “normalized after friendly and brotherly Egypt reclaimed stability and democracy.”