Tension rises between Cairo, Ankara over Egypt unrest

Questions of an Egypt-Turkey rivalry have come to the fore as the embattled Egyptian regime, regaining its confidence after two weeks of fierce demonstrations, has called Ankara on the carpet for its statements on the protests. Angered by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urging 82-year-old President Hosni Mubarak to heed his people's calls to step down, the Egyptian government dispatched its top diplomat in Ankara to convey a letter to Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. In a television appearance, Egyptian Ambassador to Ankara Abderahman Salaheldin said that following Erdogan's statements, his administration had officially contacted the Turkish ambassador in Cairo. "We understand well the interest shown in our affairs," he told news channel NTV. "This is reasonable, but there must be no interference. It is for Egyptians to decide when and what will be done."