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The lingering problems in relations between Turkey and Egypt added yet another trouble in ties, this time over TV networks broadcasting online to Arab nation via Turkey.
On late Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the chargé d'affaires at the Egyptian Embassy in Ankara, Hussein El-Saharty, to express Turkey's uneasiness over allegations made by Egypt against Turkish government for allowing TV stations that are critical of Egypt.
The step was reciprocal move by Ankara to Cairo's summoning of the Turkish embassy chargé d'affaires by Egypt's Foreign Ministry last week over controversial programming aired in Arab TVs based in Istanbul.
The Egyptian government has recently criticized Turkey for allowing several TV stations for allegedly calling for violence in Egypt against the current government. The TV stations are claimed to have been affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
"As long as ties between the two regional heavyweights are not normalized, we'll continue to see new lows at the relations stemming from different sort of crises in a regular occurrence," Abdullah Bozkurt, Turkish analyst, told Xinhua.
"Turkey is seen biased on Egypt because it has given perception that it backs Muslim Brotherhood at the expense of Egypt government and continues to shower Cairo with criticisms in international fora," he added.
The Turkish government, dominated by political Islamists, is seen closely aligned with Muslim Brotherhood. Ankara reacted strongly against the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi, former member of the Brotherhood, from the power amid mass protests.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and government officials in Ankara have repeatedly criticized Egypt's current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who got elected in a popular vote and called his administration as illegitimate.
TURKEY HOSTS ARAB TVs CRITICAL OF EGYPT
Turkish media reported that networks are not broadcasting from Turkey as the uplink is being done in London even though TV studios are based in Istanbul. Some stream live their programs in Online as well.
Turkey's broadcast regulator agency RTUK reportedly said it has not issued any license to broadcasts for any Egyptian network cited by Egyptian officials. It also noted that it lack the authority to interfere into stream broadcast done via Internet.
Turkey host many members of Muslim Brotherhood including senior leaders after they escaped Egypt soon after the removal of Morsi from the power.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic recently said foreign citizens who reside in Turkey legally and who possess a valid work permit enjoy their right to the freedom of expression under the existing legal framework.
"Turkey should revise its policy towards Egypt and start engaging with this most important Arab country in the Middle East in a constructive way," Mesut Cevikalp, Turkish expert, told Xinhua.
"The ongoing spats between the two countries do not serve to the interests of Turkey that needs Egypt on its side both diplomatically and economically," he added.
A rapprochement seems unlikely, however, according to Bozkurt who said the ruling Justice and Development Party will keep bashing on Egypt during the elections campaigns to appear acting tough on Egypt in order to pick up votes.
"This is a shortsighted policy that will hurt Turkey's national interests," he warned.
Turkish President Erdogan did not let up his criticism of Egypt during his overseas tour covering three countries in Latin America this week.
In a speech he delivered at Bogota Externado University in Colombia, Erdogan stressed that it is not possible for Turkey to support former military leader and current Egyptian President Sisi whom he said came to power after a coup.
LAWSUIT CREATES ANOTHER TROUBLE
A developing legal case in the coastal city of Alexandria may spell a new headache for Turkey as the Egyptian court is to hear a lawsuit filed by a lawyer who claimed the Turkish president had supported the Muslim Brotherhood. The lawsuit demands that Turkey should be designated as a "state that supports terrorism."
The report, published by the UK-based Middle East Monitor news portal, mentioned the Egyptian lawyer, named Tarek Mahmoud, claimed that Turkey was the main source of arms entering Egypt and ending up in the hands of MB members.
He said Turkey had hosted several meetings with members of the brotherhood and it hosts satellite channels owned by some of the group's leaders. The hearing on the lawsuit is set for the end of February.
Egypt expelled Turkish ambassador and scaled back its diplomatic ties with Turkey to the level of chargé d'affaires in November 2013 in response to Erdogan's critical remarks on the North African nation. Ankara reciprocated by declaring Egypt's ambassador to Turkey persona non grata. Enditem
