Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan Angers U.S., Israel, Egypt With Mursi Defense

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Source: REUTERS

By Ayla Jean Yackley
ISTANBUL | Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:25pm EDT

(Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan angered Ankara's U.S. ally, as well as regional leaders in Egypt and Israel, by accusing Israel on Tuesday of helping overthrow Cairo's Islamist president.

The White House called the remarks "offensive".

Erdogan, who has become one of the fiercest critics of the Egyptian army's removal of Mohamed Mursi, told members of his Islamist-rooted AK Party that he had proof that Israel was involved in last month's ouster, which has been followed by a bloody crackdown on the elected president's Muslim Brotherhood.

"What do they say in Egypt? Democracy is not the ballot box. What is behind it? Israel. We have in our hands documentation," Erdogan said in comments broadcast by TRT state television.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/20/us-turkey-egypt-israel-idUSBRE97J0XX20130820