FM Çavuşoğlu suggests Gulf countries negotiate with Egypt over exile of Morsi

Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu said late on Monday that some Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait could negotiate with Egyptian authorities in order to allow the country's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, a life in exile rather than execution imposed by the junta-dominated Egyptian judiciary. "It is not possible for us to make such a move taking into consideration the relations we have with Egypt. It would be no good to directly contact the authorities when our relations are at this point," Çavuşoğlu told reporters in Rotterdam. An Egyptian court sentenced Morsi to death on May 16, prompting a harsh response from his close ally, Turkey.

Morsi was ousted in a military coup led by then minister of defense and current President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi following mass protests against Morsi's rule in 2013.


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed support for Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood after they faced a brutal crackdown by the new government at the cost of souring relations with Egypt.

"I don't think [Egypt] will welcome our contact. But countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait can have a role in it. We have been telling them since the beginning that Morsi should go to a third country, which does not mean that we don't want him here. They [Egyptian authorities] would not be in favor of his presence in Turkey," Çavuşoğlu said, adding that what really mattered was his not being executed and that he leave the country.

"I think if the Gulf countries press this offer, they could lead Egypt to take that decision," Çavuşoğlu said.

After deposing former President Hosni Mubarak, Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood were found guilty of their role in a mass jailbreak in 2011, which ultimately brought Morsi to power. The court sentenced them to death in a hearing on May 16 and referred its decision to the nation's top Muslim cleric for his non-binding opinion. The judge who handed down the decision has scheduled June 2 for the next hearing and the final decision will be delivered on that date. The decision will be open to appeal.

Before the sentencing, Morsi and his co-defendants were already serving sentence linked to the murder of demonstrators during clashes between his supporters and opponents outside eastern Cairo's Ittihadiya presidential palace in December 2012.

Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the court decision to impose the death penalty on Morsi in a strong statement.

"We regretfully condemn the death penalty decision on President Mohammed Morsi, who was popularly elected as president but ousted through a coup along with a hundred other people," the statement said.

The ministry, branding the decision as "another black stain" on Egypt since the coup, added, "It is obvious that the decision will not contribute to a permanent peace and sustainable stability that Egypt needs urgently."