Erdoğan criticizes West for not speaking out against Morsi’s death sentence in Egypt

Speaking at Istanbul's Sultangazi Municipality Public Opening Ceremony on Saturday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commentated on the death sentence of 106 people including democratically elected ex-President Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted after a bloody military coup headed by current President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

"Egypt's first democratically-elected President Mohammed Morsi sentenced to death? Why isn't the West taking a stand against the el-Sissi rule? They are just sitting back and watching the death sentence in Egypt," said President Erdoğan in his speech.

Reminding that Morsi was an elected president, taking 52 percent of the votes, Erdoğan said: "Unfortunately, Egypt has given a death sentence to an elected president with 52 percent of the votes. Egypt is returning to old Egypt. The West, unfortunately, still does not reveal its stance against the coup leader Sisi, While Western countries have been abolishing the death penalty, they are watching the death sentences in Egypt in complete silence. They are not taking action."

"This nation will be the one to set the tone. The Turkish nation will decide. That's why your stance in 7 June is very important," the president added.

Erdoğan also published tweets in Turkish, English and Arabic critizing the death sentence imposed on Morsi.

??????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ??????? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ?????? ?

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) May 16, 2015

??? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ??????????.

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) May 16, 2015

?? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ??????? ???????? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ??????.

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) May 16, 2015

I am asking the Western countries: Why are you still silent? Why don't you implement sanctions on Egypt that sentenced Morsi to death?

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) May 16, 2015

If Morsi is sentenced to death today, it is indeed a punishment targeting the ballot box.

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) May 16, 2015

Every bullet fired upon the thousands pursuing their political will in Egypt's Tahrir Square targeted the legitimate politics in the world.

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) May 16, 2015

After deposing former President Hosni Mubarak, Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood were found guilty for taking part in a mass jailbreak in 2011. They were later sentenced to death in the verdict announced on Saturday. Before the sentencing, Morsi and his co-defendants were already facing charges linked to the murder of demonstrators during clashes between his supporters and opponents outside eastern Cairo's Ittihadiya presidential palace in December of 2012.