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Don’t let Israel meddle in Egypt: Erdogan

08 February 2011 17:41 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has asked the United States to prevent Israel from meddling in the popular revolution in Egypt, APA reports quoting Press TV.

"Israel must under no circumstance interfere" in what is happening in Egypt, Turkish daily Hurriyet quoted Erdogan as saying on Monday.

The Turkish leader made the remark on the way back from Syria, where he attended the opening ceremony of a joint construction project, dubbed the "Friendship Dam."

Erdogan said he had asked US President Barack Obama and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to intervene to stop a possible last-ditch effort by Israel to â€œturn the tideâ€ against protesters demanding the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The paper interpreted Erdogan’s reference to the Greek leader as indicative of a possible deal between Tel Aviv and Athens â€œto cozy up to each other in an effort to give the appearance that they are standing together against Turkey."

Many Israeli leaders have voiced concerns over the widespread revolt in Egypt, fearing the prospect of losing a three-decade-long ally and a key partner in their blockade of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, Erdogan expressed Ankara’s support for the current democratic movement in Egypt, urging Mubarak to respect his people’s desire for change and step down immediately.

In an official letter on Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit protested at the call, urging Turkey not to publish more statements that can harm the relations between the two countries.

According to the UN estimates, more than 300 people have been killed and many others have been injured during anti-Mubarak protests which now enter the third consecutive week.