Governments have reacted strongly to the clashes between Egyptian troops and supporters of the ousted president Mohammed Morsi that have left at least 40 people dead. TURKEY Turkey's Islamic-rooted government, which had formed an alliance with the ousted Islamist leader and has criticized his overthrow, was quick to condemn the killings. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu tweeted: "I strongly condemn the massacre that took place at morning prayers in the name of basic human values." He added: "A political normalization process that respects the will of the Egyptian people must begin" BRITAIN Britain called for movement toward free and fair elections and agreement on a democratic constitution, and called on Egyptian authorities to carry out an investigation into the events that led to the deaths. "There is an urgent need for calm and restraint," said Foreign Secretary William Hague. PALESTINIANS The Hamas militant group condemned the killings and expressed "extreme pain and grief for the falling of these victims," but stopped short of taking sides in the unfolding crisis in its neighbor. While identifying ideologically with Morsi, Hamas also maintains ties with Egyptian security forces that patrol the border with Gaza. QATAR The wealthy Gulf nation, a main backer of Morsi's government, expressed "great concern" over the deadly clashes and urged authorities to guarantee the "rights and protections" for all groups to express their views. The official Qatar News Agency, quoting an unnamed official, urged for political dialogue in Egypt, but made no mention of appeals by Morsi's backers for his return to power. Qatar also has not made any public statements on the status of its pledges to the Morsi government, which included up to $21 billion in investment and economic aid over the next five years. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/76020.aspx
