Egypt said it will expel the Turkish ambassador in Cairo over comments from Ankara supporting ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi, Foreign Ministry spokesman Badr Abdel-Atti said on Saturday, dpa reported.
Abdel-Atti said Egypt is downgrading its diplomatic relations with Turkey and noted that the Foreign Ministry summoned Turkish ambassador Hussein Awni Botsala and asked him to leave Cairo.
He said repeated statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling for the release of Morsi reflect "an unacceptable determination to defy the will of the Egyptian people ... and interference in the internal affairs of the country."
Morsi, who was deposed in July, faces trial on charges of inciting violence against opposition protesters.