The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood website has reported on the visit of a Brotherhood delegation, including the Supreme Guide, to the Cairo residence of Turkish Prime Minister Ragab Tayyip Erdogan who is currently visiting Egypt. According to the report:
Wednesday, September 14,2011 18:15 IkhwanWeb A high profile delegation from the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) visited Turkey’s PM Ragab Tayyip Erdogan at his Cairo residence Wednesday. Delegation was headed by MB Chairman Dr. Mohamed Badie, former Chairman Mahdy Akef, Deputy Chairmen Gomaa Amin, and Eng. Khairat Al- Shater. Media spokesman for the group, Dr. Mahmoud Ghozlan, described the meeting as friendly with mutual feelings of respect and appreciation. The MB delegation congratulated Erdogan for his party’s victory in recent Turkey’s parliamentary elections, and expressed gratitude for Turkey’s stance regarding Israel’s attack against the Freedom Flotilla and its efforts to end the Gaza siege. “The MB called on both Turky and Egypt to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in different fields, and to benefit from Turkey’s experience to help Egypt’s economy by encouraging investments in the country,” Ghozlan said. Erdogan in turn expressed his appreciation to the MB delegation, stressing his optimistism about Egypt’s future after the revolution and the prospects of democracy, in addition to the transition of power to a civilly elected body. During his visit, Turkish PM signed several trade agreements with Egypt Tuesday. His delegation consisted of over 100 Turkish businessmen to meet and discuss methods to enhance investment in Egypt in an attempt to develop Egypt, politically, economically and educationally. “I foresee a promising future for Egypt. It is an important and valued element in the region. Its history has repeatedly proven so “, he ascertained.
Despite the positive tone of the above report, the Jerusalem Post is reporting that the Egyptian Brotherhood warned the Turkish Prime Minister that his country should not try to dominate the Middle East. According to that report:
09/15/2011 07:39 Egypt’s most powerful Islamist group warned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday that his country should not seek to dominate the Middle East despite his enthusiastic welcome at the start of a regional tour. After his widely praised call for democracy in the Arab world, Erdogan was given a more reserved reception by officials of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose old guard was put off by the Turkish leader’s calls for Egypt to adopt a secular constitution. Appearing on Egyptian television, Erdogan said, “a secular state does not mean that the people are atheists, it means respect for all religions and each individual has the freedom to practice his own religion.” “Ninety-nine percent of the population in Turkey are Muslims. There are Christians, Jews and minorities, but the state treats them equally. This is recognized by Islam and has been true throughout Islamic history,” he said…….Essam el-Erian, deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party said in response to Erdogan’s remarks, “We welcome Turkey and we welcome Erdogan as a prominent leader but we do not think that he or his country alone should be leading the region or drawing up its future.” He added: “Arab states do not need outside projects … This has to come from the new internal systems of the Arab countries which after the revolutions … will be democratic ones,” Erian said, confirming that Erdogan had met with Freedom and Justice representatives…..Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said they sought to boost annual trade between the two states to $5 billion from $3 billion, as well as to increase Turkish investment in Egypt to $5 billion from $1.5 billion in the future. On Tuesday, Erdogan urged the United States not to block a plan by Palestinians to seek recognition for a statehood at the United Nations, and praised the overthrow of Arab autocrats across the region….“The freedom message spreading from Tahrir Square has become a light of hope for all the oppressed through Tripoli, Damascus and Sanaa,” Erdogan said, receiving several standing ovations. “Democracy and freedom is as basic a right as bread and water for you, my brothers.”
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) has published a report titled “Turkey, the Global Muslim Brotherhood, and the Gaza Flotilla” whose abstract states:
There is strong evidence for Turkish governmental involvement in the Gaza flotilla incident, with Turkish government support channeled through the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood network. Since 2006, Turkey has become a new center for the Global Muslim Brotherhood. The IHH was not acting alone but rather was an integral part of a Turkish Muslim Brotherhood network.
With respect to the Global Muslim Brotherhood, report’s second conclusion states:
The Gaza flotilla incident brought into sharp focus an even more significant long- term development: the growing relationship between the Erdogan government and the Global Muslim Brotherhood, which has given rise to some of the most notorious Islamist terrorist groups – from al-Qaeda to Hamas. Since 2006, Turkey has become a new center for the Global Muslim Brotherhood, while the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip acted as the main axis for this activity.
Read the rest here.