Ankara to work for democratic elections in Egypt

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan abandoned his holiday due to the coup d'état in Egypt, coming from Izmir to Istanbul to convene with his ministers and deputies at the Dolmabahce Office. Undersecretary of the National Intelligence Agency Hakan Fidan was also present at the meeting that lasted for 3 hours. Defining the roadmap as to the new situation in Egypt, the Turkish government will expend efforts for the smooth transition to democracy and for "no election bans." Whether Ankara will recognize the post-coup transition government remaining a matter of curiosity, the government focused on the next step regarding Egypt, closely observing the whole process. According to the government policy elaborated during the Dolmabahce meeting, priority will be given to preventing unlawful detentions and ensuring a fair election period. Initiatives will be taken in order to prevent a heresy hunt to be directed towards the overthrown President Mohammed Morsi and his team as well as the Muslim Brotherhood. Call for elections will be on the agenda for Egypt, a country that was introduced to free elections for the first time with the 25th January revolution. Evaluating the upcoming risks as to the compromise of democratic gains, the government thinks that the absence of a democratic election system compliant with legal norms would prevent the performance of fair elections, even if no election bans are imposed.