Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country will support any legitimate president elected by the people in Egypt, be it Mohamed Morsy or a new leader.
Davutoglu said Turkey respects the choice of the people and wants Egypt to remain strong because it plays an important role in maintaining stability in the region.
Turkey will not back any particular individual or group, Davutoglu said in a press conference at the Turkish embassy in Kuwait, simply the next democratically elected president.
Since the beginning of the Arab Spring, Turkey has respected the decisions of populations demanding free and fair elections in Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, or Egypt, he claimed.
"I was the first foreign minister to visit Egypt after the 25 January revolution, along with the Turkish president, to support the revolution and support the transitional phase, because we respected all the demands of the Egyptian people," Davutoglu added.
"Individuals are not important for Turkey," he continued. "The Egyptian people have to decide on their own whether Morsy was right or wrong and not the army, Turkey, or any other country."
"Perhaps Morsy has erred, but all presidents do right and make mistakes, including the presidents in Turkey."
Davutoglu denied that Turkey attacked Al-Azhar, describing it as a sacred institution.
"The Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh [Ahmed al-Tayyeb] was the first to meet with Prime Minister Erdogan during his recent visit to Egypt…and I studied some subjects at Al-Azhar, which is respected by everyone in Turkey," said Davutoglu.
"Turkey is a country that has its own customs and principles [as well as] a strong privacy policy," Davutoglu concluded. "Some may agree with them and others may disagree."
