Turkish PM criticizes West over situation in Egypt

ANKARA, Turkey, July 5 (UPI) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Western nations for not calling the Egyptian army's ousting of President Mohamed Morsi a "military coup."

Erdogan said Western nations, particularly those in the European Union, have turned a blind eye to the army intervention and overthrow of Morsi in Egypt, Today's Zaman reported.

"What happened to their democratic ideals? It is a sincerity test," Erdogan said.

Erdogan said there cannot be a "democratic coup," saying all coups are "bad, inhumane and enemy of democracy."

Those "who look at streets and ignore the ballot box cannot display a principled and ethical position," Erdogan said.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday he was "deeply concerned" about the ouster of Egypt's first democratically elected president, but avoided using the word "coup." Designating the development as a coup would lead to automatic cuts in U.S. aid to Egypt, a key U.S. ally in the region, the Los Angeles Times said.