Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says the United Nations must look into what is regarded as the suspicious death of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, and hold those responsible to account.
Morsi, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood group, which is now banned in Egypt, suffered a fatal heart attack in a Cairo court on Monday, while on trial on espionage charges.
Addressing foreign media, Erdogan said he believes the UN will put Morsi’s death on its agenda and hold the suspects accountable. The Turkish President has vowed to seek the Egyptian government’s trial in international courts over Morsi’s death, calling on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to act.
He also called Morsi a martyr, saying he does not believe he died due to natural causes.
“Now, the United Nations are unveiling its report on the case of Jamal Khashoggi. In the report, the United Nations say Saudis are definitely guilty and they definitely had knowledge about this matter. They (the United Nations) also say Saudi stance on Turkey was wrong. Now, they will pay the price for this. They will be held accountable.”
Egypt’s foreign ministry denounced Erdogan’s comments on Thursday, calling them crude violations against Egypt.
On Wednesday, the UN Special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions said evidence suggests that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other senior Saudi officials, are liable for Khashoggi’s murder.
Saudi Arabia rejected the investigators’ report as nothing new.
The 67-year-old Morsi, the first democratically elected head of state in Egypt’s modern history, had been in jail since the army commanded by Egypt’s current president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toppled him in 2013 after barely a year in power following mass protests against his rule.
Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party supported Morsi’s short-lived Egyptian government.
Many Brotherhood members and supporters have fled to Turkey since its activities were banned in Egypt.
