Brussels, 29/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - High Representative Catherine Ashton was in Egypt on 29 July. Her spokesperson stated that she was visiting the country at the request of a number of the main players to speak to all the different parties to reiterate her call for calm and to press home the message that “the only solution is a rapid move to an inclusive transformation process... All political groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, must be involved in the transformation process”. During her visit, the second in less than two weeks (see EUROPE 10891) and after a weekend of violence, Ashton is expected to meet the interim president, Adly Mansour, vice-president Mohamed El Baradei, defence minister, General Abd Al Fattah Al Sissi and other politians, including representatives from the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and representatives from civil society, including those from the Tamarod movement.
Europeans concerned about violence
Before her visit was announced, Ashton stated in the morning of 27 July that she was following the latest developments “with concern”, with almost 100 people having been killed in clashes on 26, 27 and 28 July. She appealed to the provisional authorities to ensure peaceful and well-ordered demonstrations and for all the different actors to refrain from all violence and respect the principles of peaceful non-violent demonstration. In a press release she said that “confrontation is not a solution… Reconciliation and dialogue are paramount at this critical juncture. There is no room for hate-speech and other forms of incitement”. Ashton believes that “all political groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, must be involved in the transformation process… A credible return to a democratic transition requires political steering and discourse with no interference from actors outside the democratic framework”. She has called for efforts to be made by all the different political groups “to find a peaceful solution for a stable, prosperous and democratic Egypt”.
Release Morsi
Ashton also insisted on the release of all political prisoners, “including Mohammed Morsi and his close advisers”, and emphasised that “new charges at this time will not contribute to the constructive environment Egypt needs now”. The release of prisoners was also called for by the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, who called for “an end to the politicisation of justice”. Schulz said that he was concerned at the level of violence and regretted that the security forces had not been able to protect the lives of many Egyptians and that, with the lack of a democratic mandate, opposing forces are using the mob as a means of legitimising their claims, which is having disastrous consequences. He said that “the leadership of the opposing camps has the political responsibility to end the confrontation and division of the Egyptian people: they should endeavour to foster calm and dialogue”.
Turkish prime minister criticises EU
The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is supporting president Morsi and has criticised the EU for not having adequately condemned the deaths of demonstrators. “Those who were silent when Egypt's national will was massacred are silent again when people are massacred. What happened to the EU (and) European values, where are those who go around giving lessons in democracy?” Erdogan said in a speech to a group of businessmen in Istanbul in televised comments. “Where is the United Nations? Where are those who created a brouhaha when Turkish police, in a completely justified and legitimate way, used water (cannon) and pepper spray now when there is a coup and a massacre in Egypt?” he said.
Over the period of a month, more than 300 people have been killed in clashes. (CG/transl.fl)