Erdogan On Morsi death sentence: 'Egypt is turning into ancient Egypt.'

Erdogan On Morsi death sentence: 'Egypt is turning into ancient Egypt.' (HD).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has slammed the death penalty issued for former Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi, likening the country to "ancient Egypt" while criticizing the Western stance over the coup, which was led by Mursi's successor Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

"Egypt is turning into ancient Egypt. Sisi cannot be confronted. The West does not display a stance against Sisi the coupmaker," Erdoğan said in his speech during an inauguration ceremony in Istanbul on May 16.

Hours before Erdoğan's speech, an Egyptian court sought the Mursi and more than 100 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood in connection with a mass jail break in 2011.

Egyptian court issues preliminary death sentence to Morsi and MB 'Godfather' Al Qaradawi in "jailbreak case".

Egyptian court issues preliminary death sentence to Morsi in "jailbreak case". (AA).

Cairo Criminal Court on Saturday issued a preliminary ruling of death to former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and 105 other defendants in the trial known as the "Natroun Jailbreak case."

The court has sent its decision in the "Natroun case" to the country's Grand Mufti for a consultative review as required by Egyptian law, setting 2 June as a date for a final verdict.

The court also issued a preliminary ruling of death to Brotherhood leaders Mohamed El-Beltagy and Khairat El-Shater and 14 others in the trial known as "Hamas Espionage case."

The court also sent its decision in the "Hamas Espionage case" to the country's Grand Mufti for a consultative review as required by Egyptian law, setting 2 June as a date for a final verdict.

In the "Natroun Jailbreak case, the prosecution had charged Morsi and co-defendants with damaging and setting fire to prison buildings, murder, attempted murder, looting prison weapons depots and releasing prisoners.

The prisoners, who broke out of jail, include members of the Palestinian Hamas movement, Lebanon's Hizbullah, jihadists, Muslim Brotherhood members and varied criminals, according to the prosecution.

Prosecutors also said that over 800 fighters from Gaza had infiltrated Egypt, using RPGs and heavy armaments to storm three prisons, abducting four policemen and killing several others, along with inmates.

The ruling goes to the Mufti

Though the Grand Mufti's opinion is non-binding to the court, Egyptian judges have traditionally adjusted their final rulings in accordance with the Mufti's recommendations.

Saturday's capital punishment ruling against Morsi makes him the first president in Egypt's history to face the possibility of death by hanging if court ratifies its initial decision on 2 June or if he loses a projected appeal.

Other leading Brotherhood figures sentenced to death in the espionage case include Mahmoud Ezzat, who, at large, has been acting Brotherhood leader in August 2013 following the arrest of Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie.

Other Brotherhood leaders sentenced to death In the jailbreak case include Islamist preacher Youssef Al-Qaradawi, who resides in Qatar; Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, former speaker of the house Saad El-Katatni; and vice president of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party Essam El-Erian.

In the espionage case, Morsi and 35 others were charged with conspiring with foreign powers — including the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Lebanon's Hizbullah and Iran's Revolutionary Guard — to destabilise Egypt.

The court did not on Saturday issue a ruling against Morsi and 18 others in the case and scheduled the announcement for 2 June, suggesting that the former president, unlike those sentenced to death in the case today, will not be punished by death. Hmmm.....Making a 'martyr' out of Morsi would be a mistake in my opinion, better give him life,...in solitary.

'Islamist' Turkey seeking 'contact' with "Islamist' Libya.

'Islamist' Turkey seeking 'contact' with "Islamist' Libya. (reuters).

Libya's self-declared prime minister, who runs a rival government not recognized by the international community, met a Turkish envoy on Tuesday, in the first publicly known diplomatic meeting with a foreign representative.

Libya has had two governments and parliaments competing for legitimacy since an armed group seized Tripoli in August. Omar al-Hasi, an Islamist, set up his own cabinet in the capital and forced the internationally recognized prime minister, Abdullah Thinni, to move to the east of the country

Western powers and Libya's neighbors worry the conflict will turn the North African country into a failed state or even spark civil war as former rebels who helped oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 now fight for control.

Hasi met Turkey's special envoy for Libya, Emrullah Isler, in Tripoli, Hasi's government said on its website. It showed a picture of the meeting in the prime minister's office, which had been previously used by Thinni.

Several high-profile foreign officials, among them U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, visited Tripoli and Tobruk this month but none it publicly know to have met Hasi.

Western and Arab countries withdrew their diplomatic personnel when fighting between the Misrata-led forces and a rival group from Zintan escalated in summer.

Isler had previously visited Tobruk, a town in Libya's far east where the elected parliament allied to Thinni has moved.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to comment. Turkey is one of Libya's biggest business partners, with Turkish firms using much Misrata sea port, the country's biggest.

Turkish Airlines has decided to resume flights to Misrata, the Libya Herald reported this week, in what would be the first return of a major carrier since Tripoli's main airport was badly damaged during fighting in summer. Hmmm.....A Muslim brotherhood match made in heaven.Read the full story here.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu comments on Twitter ban.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu comments on Twitter ban. (Taz).

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu appeared to endorse Turkey's Constitutional Court's ruling on Wednesday that the Twitter ban be restored Anadolu Agency reported

Responding to reporters in New York after the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) group of friends session, Davutoglu said, "court orders need to be respected everywhere across the world."

He added Turkey had asked Twitter to restrict access to the accounts that violated people's rights, however, Twitter refused to do so.

"The Twitter ban was a temporary measure and it does not aim to restrict freedom of expression," he added.

Davutoglu added that Turkey is making progress to normalize relations with Israel, which have been tense since nine Turks aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were killed by Israeli soldiers in 2010.
Israel's apology to Turkey last year marked the beginning of improvement of relations. Turkey is expecting "positive developments" in the coming days on its second requirement - compensation to the families - Davutoglu said. The third demand from Turkey is the lifting of the Gaza blockade.

Asked whether Turkey was at war with Syria, Davutoglu said, "Turkey's borders have been violated many times...Turkey shot down a Syrian military jet three weeks ago. That is why this is an extremely serious matter that needs to be followed by Turkey," he said.

Davutoglu said he would seek support for Turkey's bid to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2015 and 2016 during his visit in New York.
Turkey served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2009 and 2010.
Five permanent members of the council are; U.K. U.S., China, France, Russia. The 10 non-permanent seats are filled by members of the UN General Assembly, with five countries elected each year for two years.

Turkish Interior Ministry planning to dismiss all reassigned police officers.

Turkish Interior Ministry planning to dismiss all reassigned police officers.(TZ).

Having conducted a sweeping purge in the police force resulting in the reassignment of nearly 15,000 police officers since a major corruption and bribery probe became public on Dec. 17 of last year, the Interior Ministry is now preparing to dismiss the reassigned officers in the upcoming weeks, sources close to the ministry claim.

The sources, who preferred to remain anonymous due to security concerns, told Today's Zaman that the Interior Ministry is planning to launch a new initiative in which it will dismiss all reassigned police officers from their posts over the next few weeks.

The police officers had been reassigned on the grounds that they were linked to the faith-based Hizmet movement, inspired by the principles of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. 

The government has launched a large-scale defamation campaign against the movement, which it has accused of being behind the Dec. 17 corruption scandal.After 400 reassigned police officers -- including former Police Chief Ramazan Akyürek, who served as head of the National Police Department's intelligence unit, former Muş Police Department Chief Muharrem Durmaz and Hami Güney, formerly deputy chief of the Ankara Police Department -- were dismissed from their posts recently, the sources revealed that the ministry has also prepared a new 1,000-person dismissal list on the orders of Interior Minister Efkan Ala.

The ministry has already approved the list and sent it to the National Police Department's personnel department and is planning to dismiss those on the list over the next few weeks.Read the full story here.

Related:

Turkish police now working with packed suitcase, at least 2,500 police, including top officers, replaced since mid-December.

Part of controversial judicial bill to be ‘frozen’: Turkish PM Erdogan.

Part of controversial judicial bill to be ‘frozen’: Turkish PM Erdogan.(Taz).

The government will freeze some articles in a controversial bill reshaping the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Jan. 24, shortly after a government official mulled that the draft could be "suspended." Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Erdogan, however, said the government had no intention of entirely withdrawing the bill and could submit the articles in question to the General Assembly once more if necessary.

"Withdrawing the bill on the HSYK is out of the question. We would have wished that the legislation on the HSYK could have been made through a constitutional amendment. I made my due call to the opposition. My deputy parliamentary group chairs have visited them. But no positive outcome came from there," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara in reference to the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) proposition last week to reach an agreement for a constitutional amendment, but the move was ultimately rejected by opposition parties.

"We will complete the vote on the Justice Academy. We will freeze the other parts of the law for now. But if there is a necessity, we could submit them again to the General Assembly in the future," he said.

Erdogan also said President Abdullah Gul, who intervened in the political impasse by meeting all the opposition leaders and striving for a consensual charter change, did not demand the government backtrack from the much-debated reform during a meeting on Jan. 23.

"We have extensively discussed this issue with the president. He has not made a demand to withdraw the bill," Erdogan said.

Shortly earlier, AKP deputy head Mustafa Şentop said the possibility of freezing the draft bill was being "assessed" after rumors spread on a weekend recess on parliamentary sessions, which would mean the suspension of debates on the controversial reform.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kılıçdaroglu said suspending the bill was the "right decision."

Debates at Parliament on Jan. 23 were marked by fresh brawls and fistfights. CHP deputy Bulent Tezcan was injured after being punched by AKP deputy Oktay Saral while he was making a speech questioning why Erdogan's son, Bilal Erdogan, had not testified as part of the graft probe.(See pic above).

Erdogan criticized the opposition over the fight, denouncing "provocations. "Saying these words against the prime minister from the stand of the General Assembly is a provocation. The cause provokes consequences. Everyone should avoid such provocations," Erdogan said.

The massive graft scandal, which was launched last month with raids implicating four ministers, produced a debate on the judiciary, as the government moved to increase its control over the key judicial body.

Obama to the rescue of his BFF Erdogan 'US not to become involved in Turkey’s domestic politics.'

Obama to the rescue of his BFF Erdogan 'US not to become involved in Turkey’s domestic politics.'(Taz).

The United States is not and will not become involved in Turkey's domestic politics, U.S. Department of State said in its statement, Turkish Anadolu news agency reported on Jan.23.

According to the agency, the statement said that the U.S. is following the developments in Turkey and the conduct of investigations.

Turkish police conducted special operations in Istanbul and Ankara on Dec.17, 2013, resulting in the arrest of several dozens of people that include businessmen and sons of some ministers. The detainees are accused of corruption, smuggling and selling drugs.

Mayor of Istanbul's Fatih Municipality, Mustafa Demir, Director General of Turkish Halkbank Suleyman Aslan and well known entrepreneur Ali Agaoglu were arrested during the same operation by police. Searches were also conducted at Halkbank's office.

After a meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in late December, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a new cabinet of ministers.Hmmmm.....Now if it were Egypt, the Obama 'admin' would have no prob to get 'involved'.

Related from Wapo:

The United States needs to tell Turkey to change course

Turkish police now working with packed suitcase, at least 2,500 police, including top officers, replaced since mid-December.

Turkish police now working with packed suitcase, at least 2,500 police, including top officers, replaced since mid-December.(HD).

Turkish authorities pressed on with a massive purge of police on Thursday, removing 159 officers and four department heads from their posts in a single city, local media reported.

The shakeup in the western province of Bursa came on the heels of a similar round of sackings or reassignments in the main cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir on Wednesday.

Two police department heads in Ankara were also removed from their posts on Jan. 23, reports said.

At least 2,500 police, including top officers, have been replaced since the graft scandal erupted in mid-December.

Dozens of prosecutors, including senior lawyers involved in the investigations into alleged money laundering, gold smuggling and bribery in real estate deals, have also been sacked.

The purges, coupled with legislation aimed at increasing government control on the judiciary and the Internet, have raised deep concern at home and abroad about the state of democracy in the majority Muslim country.Hmmmm......Erdogan : "I'm not a dictator. It's not even in my blood,"...Police, Judges, prosecutors purged..........He got a blood transfusion recently?

Related: Erdogan on Democracy .

French Green EP member says Erdoğan dodged corruption questions with success stories.

French Green EP member says Erdoğan dodged corruption questions with success stories.(TZ).

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the co-chairman of the Greens Party in the European Parliament (EP) and a prominent political figure in Europe, has said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during his visit to Brussels on Tuesday, avoided giving a response to questions about an ongoing corruption scandal and instead spoke about his government's successful practices over the past 11 years.

Speaking to France's Europe 1 radio channel, Cohn-Bendit elaborated on Erdoğan's controversial visit to Brussels, saying Erdoğan refrained from giving answers to questions on the corruption investigation in Turkey which became public on Dec. 17 following a wave of detentions, preferring instead to talk about Turkey's growing economy.

“We asked him about the corruption investigation. He said Turkey's economy has growth by 4 percent, that they are continuing to build schools and that his government is the most successful one in terms of environmental issues compared to the previous governments. In short, he said there cannot be corruption in a country that has a growing economy,” Cohn-Bendit said.

On a question about police officers being removed from their posts since the scandal broke, Erdoğan claimed that “my parliament” has legislative powers and has removed only a few hundred police officers out of thousands, Cohn-Bendit said.

According to the EP member, tensions increased when the Egyptian coup was discussed.

He said Erdoğan criticized the EU for not condemning the coup that took place on July 3 and reminded the union that it had maintained its silence when the Muslim Brotherhood had made mistakes.

“Erdoğan said the Muslim Brotherhood had earned half of the votes and I reminded him that Hitler also came into power with the help of the votes that he received. … He said ‘I'm the people! ... The people stand by me. My nation is the victim of an international plot',” Cohn-Bendit said.He also defined Erdoğan as a “leader who has never doubted himself.”Hmmmm....."L'Etat C'est Moi" - "I'm the people"...........They're continuing to build schools? 

Erdogan Builds 17,000 New Mosques, No New Schools During Last 10 Years

Erdogan's 'Stalinist' purges - state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation axes 800 reporters, stirs reaction over press freedom

Erdogan's 'Stalinist' purges - state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation axes 800 reporters, stirs reaction over press freedom. (TZ).


The state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) has fired some 800 correspondents without providing any specific reason, news wires reported on Tuesday. The dismissed reporters were mostly contractual or freelance workers who don’t have any right to severance or compensation payments.

Aydın Journalists’ Solidarity Association (AGD) Chairman Mehmet Aydın said the public broadcasting company’s decision victimizes a large number of journalists throughout Turkey. In a written statement on Monday, Aydın said the reporters were left helpless in the middle of the winter due to TRT’s mass layoffs and demanded that measures be taken to help them with the financial difficulties they will experience as a result of the surprise dismissals.

He said these journalists had already been working under demanding conditions and were in a bad economic situation due to low wages. A large portion of the press in the country are employed in such a way that they are deprived even of the social rights guaranteed under Press Labor Law No. 212 because they are not full-time employees, he said, adding that such a large number of job cuts only aggravates the situation. “We strongly condemn the TRT administration for ruthlessly and categorically victimizing our colleagues at such a time when the army of jobless reporters is growing like an avalanche,” he said.

Yozgat Journalists’ Association (YGC) President Osman Hakan Kiracı also criticized TRT’s decision and said that they are watching the government’s negative practices against the press, which he said had accelerated since Dec. 17 when a corruption probe implicating some members of the government became public, with great concern.

He mentioned the proposed new Internet law, which entitles the maritime affairs and communications minister as well as the head of the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) to block websites without first obtaining a court order, as well as the Turkish Airlines (THY) decision to halt the distribution of newspapers on its flights from media outlets that have been critical of the government. He said that the TRT’s massive dismissals are the latest example of the government’s increasing pressure on the freedom of expression.

THY stopped purchasing the Zaman daily, the highest-selling paper in Turkey, as well as the dailies Bugün, Today’s Zaman and Ortadoğu last month. Kiracı characterized this decision as an undemocratic practice.Hmmmm......Erdogan : "I'm not a dictator. It's not even in my blood,"...Police, Judges, prosecutors purged..........He got a blood transfusion recently?

Related: Erdogan on Democracy .

Video - Benghazi: Extensive Report On Cover Up By The White House - Fox News.

Video - The Obama & Hillary COVERUP (Warning Graphic)

Video - Issa: In Benghazi we had not provided the kind of security the ambassador asked for, & that cost him his life.

Full Senate Intelligence Committee report on Benghazi attack.

Full Senate Intelligence Committee report on Benghazi attack.HT: read it @ WashingtonPost.

Egypt angered after 'Islamist' Turkey calls for Morsi’s release

Egypt angered after 'Islamist' Turkey calls for Morsi’s release.(Ahram).

Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its dissatisfaction at recent comments by Turkish officials about ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.

"[Turkish officials] insist on falsifying the real situation in Egypt and challenging the will of the Egyptian people," the ministry said on Tuesday in a statement published by state news agency MENA.

The Turkish foreign ministry called on Tuesday for the release of Morsi, who is currently in detention pending trial on charges of inciting violence during his presidency.

Morsi has been held in detention since his ouster by the military in July, after mass protests calling for an end to his presidency. Initially he was held without charge at an undisclosed location.

On Monday he appeared at a Cairo court for the first session in his trial.

"We believe the release of all political prisoners, including elected president Morsi, will contribute significantly to the emergence and sound implementation of the dialogue and reconciliation process in that country," read a statement on the official website of the Turkish foreign ministry.

The president's ouster has strained relations between Cairo and Ankara. Turkey's Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) government had warm relations with Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood administration.

A deadly crackdown on pro-Morsi protesters in Egypt on 14 August prompted the two countries to recall their respective ambassadors for consultations. The Turkish envoy returned to Cairo early in September, but Egypt says its ambassador will not return unless “interference” by Turkey in Egypt’s domestic affairs ceases.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the fiercest critics of Morsi's removal, has repeatedly called for his release and severely condemned recent violence.Hmmmm.....It seems Somehow Erdogan still thinks Egypt is an Ottoman province.

"YES WE CAN" - BREAKING: Morsi prison escape referred to Egypt prosecutors

"YES WE CAN" - BREAKING: Morsi prison escape referred to Egypt prosecutors.HT: AlAhram.

The escape from prison by senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood – including Mohamed Morsi – during the January 25 Revolution has been referred to state prosecutors by a court in Ismailia.

Essam El-Erian, Sobhi Saleh and Saad El-Katatni were among the senior Brotherhood leaders to escape alongside Morsi, who later became Egyptian president, after unknown assailants stormed Wadi El-Natroun prison during the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in early 2011.

The court called on Interpol to arrest the leaders of Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, Palestinian group Hamas and Al-Qaeda in Sinai for their alleged role in the escape.

Thirty-four senior Brotherhood members will also be investigated for espionage.Read the full story here.

Prominent Egyptian journalist: "Mursi Expected to Close Israeli Embassy Instead of Cutting Ties with Syria"

Prominent Egyptian journalist: "Mursi Expected to Close Israeli Embassy Instead of Cutting Ties with Syria".(Fars).

A prominent Egyptian journalist expressed regret over President Mohammad Mursi's decision to close the Syrian embassy in Cairo, and said Mursi was expected to shut down the Israeli mission as the enemy of the Muslim world, instead.

"Mursi's remarks at a conference dubbed 'Support for Syria' in Cairo means declaring war on the Syrian government," Menni al-Shazali was quoted as saying by al-Youm al-Sabe' news website on Sunday.

"The president talked about closing the Syrian embassy while all of us thought that he would decide to shut down the Israeli mission," she added.

Mursi announced on Saturday the end of diplomatic ties with the Syrian government led by Bashar Al-Asaad.

"We have decided to close down the Syrian embassy in Cairo," he said, adding, "We also intend to recall Egypt's charge d'affaires (from Damascus)."

His remarks came after a former advisor to the Egyptian president called for the immediate expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Cairo as part of Egypt's reaction to the recent Israeli airstrike on Damascus.

Mohammed Esmat Seif al-Dewla, former advisor to Mursi, condemned Israel's attack against Syria in May, and called on Cairo and other Arab states to review their ties with Israel, cautioning that "Tel Aviv has violated all red lines".

"There is no difference between Gaza and Syria and both of them are part of the Arab land. As we stated during the (Israeli) onslaught on Gaza that Gaza is not alone, we say today that Syria, as a brotherly country and nation, is not alone in its confrontation with Israel," he told Egyptian Al-Tahrir TV network.Read the full story here.

Video - Egyptian Journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal: President Morsi Refused to Visit a Single Church.

Egyptian Journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal: Obama's New BFF President Morsi Refused to Visit a Single Church.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, which aired on CBC TV on April 12, 2013:

Mohamed Hassanein Heikal: When they say that Islam is both a religion and a political system, when they show the Muslim Brotherhood logo, with the sword and everything... I would be an idiot not to worry. So I think that many Muslims are worried, despite their devotion to Islam.

When an Islamic president came to power, I expected him to make more of an effort than his secular predecessors to reassure his [Christian] compatriots, but...

Interviewer: Dr. Morsi has not visited even a single church.

Mohamed Hassanein Heikal: Exactly. I was told by one of his former advisors that when they told him he should visit a church, he said: "Visit a church? God forbid."

Interviewer: Why hasn't Dr. Morsi visited a single church? Why didn't he congratulate Tawadros II when he became the Coptic pope? Is he worried about his constituency?

Mohamed Hassanein Heikal: Before you talk about his constituency, you should be asking about his own beliefs.

Interviewer: Do you mean that he is not ready personally to visit a church?

Mohamed Hassanein Heikal: Look, there is no room for pluralism in religion, whereas patriotism and national identity require pluralism. Hmmmm.......Why aren't we surprised: 'Obama's New BFF President Morsi Refused to Visit a Single Church'.Source: Memri.

Kerry Secretly Approved Huge Arms Shipments to Obama's new BFF Egypt.

Kerry Secretly Approved Huge Arms Shipments to Obama's new BFF Egypt.(TDB).

While employees of American NGOs sat in Egyptian prisons, Secretary of State John Kerry quietly waived the law that would prevent the U.S. from sending the Egyptian military $1.3 billion worth of weapons this year.

Congress erupted in anger June 4, when Egyptian courts sentenced 43 NGO workers, including 16 Americans, to jail terms of up to five years for working in NGOs not registered with the government. Only one of those Americans, the National Democratic Institute’s Robert Becker, actually stayed in Egypt to await the verdict. He was given two years in prison. The other American organizations targeted included the International Republican Institute and Freedom House. All of those organizations had been operating in the open in Egypt for several years before the government raided their offices and forced them to flee the country in December 2011.

But what most in Congress didn’t know was that on May 10, Kerry had waived the restrictions lawmakers had put in place to make sure that U.S. military aid to Egypt wouldn’t continue unless Egypt made progress on its path to democracy, rule of law, and human rights. 

The State Department’s notification of Kerry’s move, which was never released to the public, was obtained by The Daily Beast.

The law that allows the State Department to give Egypt $1.3 billion each year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) specifies that to get the money, the secretary of State must certify that Egypt is honoring its peace treaty with Israel as well as “supporting the transition to civilian government including holding free and fair elections; implementing policies to protect freedom of expression, association, and religion, and due process of law.”

This year Kerry didn’t say anything publicly and didn’t even tell many of the congressional offices that care about the issue, said Stephen McInerney, executive director of the Project on Middle East Democracy.

“It’s very alarming that no public statement was made by the secretary or the Department of State more broadly in conjunction with the waiving of these conditions,” he said. “The waiving of these conditions isn’t something that should be done lightly or quietly.”

Reps. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) are circulating a letter in the House this week to Morsi threatening a cutoff of U.S. aid and asking him to step in and reverse the policy of prosecuting foreign NGO workers.
The lawmakers said that there was no way the Obama administration would be able to certify that Egypt was progressing toward democracy, given the jail sentences. They didn’t know that Kerry had already waived the law only weeks prior. Experts following the issue were shocked that Kerry’s team kept the decision a secret, unlike last year, when then–secretary of State Hillary Clinton also waived the law, but made sure to explain her actions and include a strong statement condemning the Egyptian government’s treatment of foreign NGOs.Hmmmm........."I will stand with my Muslim brothers."Read the full story here.

Egypt’s doors to Gaza wide open to Turkish PM Erdoğan: Egyptian PM.

Egypt’s doors to Gaza wide open to Turkish PM Erdoğan: Egyptian PM.(HD).

The doors of Egypt to Gaza are wide open to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Egyptian prime minister has said, noting that Erdoğan had repeated his intention to visit the enclave at the end of this month.

“He [Erdoğan] said he wants to come to Egypt and to go to Gaza. Of course, he’s going to have a very good experience because seeing things live is much different from watching or reading news pieces,” Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil told the Hürriyet Daily News on May 11. Kandil held meetings with President Abdullah Gül and Erdoğan on May 10, when he also attended Turkish-Egyptian Business Forum meeting. Kandil said both countries’ foreign ministries were talking about the dates of Erdoğan’s visit, which is supposed to take place after the prime minister’s appointment with U.S. President Barack Obama on May 16.

Erdoğan is supposed to pass to Gaza from Egypt as the Egyptian prime minister said, “Our doors are going to be wide open for him of course.” Here is an excerpt from the interview with Kandil:

This is also related with the Turkish prime minister’s plans to visit Gaza. Have you discussed this issue, because he will need to pass there through Egypt?

Yes, he said [during his meeting on May 10] he wants to come to Egypt and to go to Gaza. Of course, he’s going to have a very good experience because seeing things live is much different from watching it on the news or reading the news. Doors are going to be wide open for him of course.

Have you discussed dates of this visit?

Our foreign ministries are discussing dates, but no certain date has been fixed so far.

Another regional development was Israel’s apology to Turkey. How do you evaluate the development?

This issue has three parts: apology, compensation and lifting the embargo. Turkey should be praised for sticking to its position and everybody will be delighted to see the embargo on our brothers and sisters in Gaza lifted. Hmmmm......Morsi and Erdogan Both BFF of Obama.....'The staunchest ally of Israel'.Read the full story here.