Egyptian-Turkish relations have been strained ever since the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood regime in Egypt, June 30, 2013 amid mass protests. Turkey's unwavering defense of the Brotherhood clearly expressed in various diplomatic and political actions aims at undermining the legitimacy of the current Egyptian administration, especially in aspects of foreign relations. The Turkish regime seems intent on criticizing Egypt's policies on every diplomatic occasion. Turkey has become the biggest regional supporter of the outlawed Brotherhood, providing a safe haven for fugitive MB leaders and figures, hosting their meetings and aiding in their constant attempts to topple the current Egyptian regime led by President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi. The Turkish support to the outlawed MB was clearly reflected in the carefully staged shedding of tears on national TV by then Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan following the dispersal of the Brotherhood's sit-in in Rabaa Square. The expertly produced video footage showed Erdogan crying over MB leader Mohamed Al Beltagy's message to his dead daughter Asmaa. It was shot from different angles using multiple cameras, Islamic chants in the background, proving Erdogan's strong ties with the Muslim Brotherhood's international organization. September 2014, Erdogan stated that Turkey would welcome senior figures of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood after they were asked to leave Qatar, the MB's biggest supporter in the Middle East, under pressure from other Gulf Arab states, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. "If they make any request to come to Turkey, we will review their request," Erdogan said, "If there are any reasons that would prevent them from coming to Turkey, they would be assessed and if there aren't any obstacles, they would be granted the ease that is granted to everyone," he added. Hundreds of the brotherhood's senior figures and leaders have fled to the Gulf States after the MB regime's ouster and the designation of the group as a terrorist organization on December 25, 2013, following an explosion at a security building in Nile Delta's Mansoura, leaving 16 killed and 100 injured. Turkey has played a significant role in supporting the Brotherhood with weapons, intelligence and political aid, including the Turkish Intelligence officer Irshad Hoz who was arrested in Egypt. Turkey received many fugitives after the June 30 revolution, in coordination with Hamas and Qatar. Moreover, Turkey hosted three main MB conferences; the first on July 10 2013, at a hotel near Ataturk airport, attended by leaders of the Brotherhood's international organization, including Youssef Nada, Rashed Al Ghanoushi, Mohamed Riyad Al Shafaka and representatives of the Hamas terrorist movement. The conference was held on the sidelines of a forum held by the Turkish Saadet Party to "support democracy." The second meeting was a cover-up for the MB meeting in Lahore. It reportedly adopted an action plan to topple the Egyptian regime and discussed the repercussions of the Brotherhood's ouster in Egypt on its other branches in Tunisia, Sudan, Jordan and Algeria as well as the MB-affiliated groups in the GCC countries. The meeting was attended by the Brotherhood's leaders in Morocco, Malaysia, Mauritania, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Kurdistan-Iraq. September 25 and 26 of the same year, Turkey hosted a third meeting, in which the Brotherhood participated as members of the "Islamic Parliamentarians union" and "parliamentarians for transparency." The meetings had a great impact on the ground in Egypt as the insurgency caused by MB supporters reached its peak on August 14 2013, during the dispersal of the Rabaa and Nahda Squares sit-ins, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries, in the clashes between security forces and MB militants. Furthermore, Turkey has encouraged MB fugitives from parallel entities, including the parallel parliament in Istanbul, to criticize Egypt through TV Channels broadcasting from Istanbul, among which: Rabaa, Mekameleen, Al Sharq, Al Maidan and Al Hewar, in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the Egyptian administration. February 22, 2015, the so-called Egyptian Revolutionary Council (ERC), consisting of 81 fugitive leaders of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and formed in Istanbul August 8, 2014, released a statement threatening U.S. President Barack Obama of potential terrorist activities because of the U.S. ‘support' to Egypt's President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi. The Turkish ties to the Brotherhood seem to date back to the 1960s, following the end of the Ataturk party's rule and the start of the Democratic Party's era, as the Brotherhood started collaborating with Necmettin Erbakan, founder Milli Görüş, or the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood. In 1996, Erbakan attempted to form a new Islamic power, the ‘Eight Islamic countries group', made up of Libya, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Malaysia, matching the Brotherhood's aspirations for an Islamic "Caliphate." Turkish Islamists were fascinated by Hassan Al Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood and the teachings of 20th century Islamic theorist Sayyid Qutb, translating their letters and teachings into Turkish. Even the Justice and Development party is considered a Muslim Brotherhood faction, as it is well-known for giving privileged business opportunities to the Brotherhood's businessmen. Turkey's determination to support and host the MB has isolated Erdogan from the Arab world, especially the GCC states which pledged full support to the Egyptian leadership on several occasions. The contradiction in Turkey's attitude - manifest in their so-called support of Democracy and their rejection of the June 30 2013 revolution after they had applauded and backed the revolutionary legitimacy of the January 25 2011 revolution, as it helped the Brotherhood rise to power in Egypt - has made it clear that relations between Turkey and the Arab world will remain strained for the foreseeable future.
