Israel behind Egypt coup: Turkey PM

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Israel is behind the military coup d’état in Egypt which led to death of hundreds of people in the North African country.

“What do they say about Egypt: democracy is not the ballot box. Who is behind this? It’s Israel,” Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Referring to remarks made by an Israeli justice minister in 2011 with regard to incapability of Muslim Brotherhood to remain in power even if one of its members won presidential elections, Erdogan added “We have the evidence. That’s exactly what happened.”

Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since July 3, when the army toppled President Mohamed Morsi, the first democratically elected Egyptian head of state, and suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament. The army also appointed the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mahmoud Mansour, as the new interim president.

Since July 3, thousands of supporters of ousted Egyptian president have staged nationwide rallies to demand Morsi’s reinstatement.

On August 14, the interim government launched a brutal crackdown on thousands of peaceful pro-Morsi protesters in Cairo.

The crackdown triggered a wave of violence in the country. Almost 900 people, including nearly 100 soldiers and police, have died in the country since then.

The government in Egypt has been facing international condemnation over the killing of protesters. Amnesty International has called for a thorough and unbiased investigation into the August 14 massacre.

Moreover, thousands of people in countries across the world have held demonstrations to condemn Egyptian police’s violent crackdown on pro-Morsi protesters.

Meanwhile, on Monday, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was “deeply disturbed” by the death of 37 Muslim Brotherhood detainees on the way to a north Cairo jail, and called for a “full investigation to ascertain the facts surrounding this incident.”

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday also urged Egypt’s rulers to “urgently reverse” instructions for police to use live ammunition against protesters.