Egypt asks Turkish ambassador to leave, cites threat to stability

Egypt said it had asked Turkey's ambassador to leave and accused Ankara of backing unnamed organisations bent on spreading instability - a likely reference to the Muslim Brotherhood of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi.

Turkey was "attempting to influence public opinion against Egyptian interests, supported meetings of organisations that seek to create instability in the country," said foreign Ministry Spokesman Badr Abdelatty on Saturday. Turkey has emerged as one of the fiercest international critics of Mursi's removal, calling it an "unacceptable coup". Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood has close ties with Turkey's ruling AK Party.