Turkey condemns Egyptian court ruling to uphold 183 death sentences

Turkey condemned a decision by Egyptian court Tuesday to uphold death sentences for 183 Muslim Brotherhood supporters over charges of killing 16 policemen in August, 2013.

The defendants, many of whom are supporters of former Islamic President Mohamed Morsi, were sentenced to death for alleged involvement in attacks on a police station in the town of Kerdasa in August 2013.

The defendants were among 188 who received preliminary death sentences in December, 2014.

Initial sentences were sent to the grand mufti, Egypt's highest authority for Islamic jurisprudence, for ratification.

In Monday's verdict, the court approved death sentences for 183 and acquitted two others. The sentence of a minor was reduced to ten years in prison.

The judiciary decision is "politically motivated following the Egypt July 2013 coup," said a written statement by Turkish Foreign Ministry Tuesday.

"It is obvious that Egypt, with increasing numbers of political prisoners reaching 20,000 since the coup in 2013, cannot attain lasting peace and stability through execution sentences," said the statement, noting that the rulings "fall short of fair trial."

Morsi was regarded as a strong ally of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government established close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Turkey criticized Egypt's use of force against supporters of ousted Islamist president Morsi, whereas Egypt condemned the Turkish government for interfering in its domestic affairs.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been strained since then. Both countries recalled their ambassadors for consultations in a tit-for-tat policy. Endit