Turkey offers condolences for death of Egypt’s Morsi

By Sinan Uslu

ANKARA (AA) - Officials in Turkey took to Twitter on Monday to extend their sympathies for the death of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun offered condolences to the Egyptian people and the Muslim world.

"Egypt's first democratically-elected President Mohammed Morsi who was overthrown by a bloody coup before the eyes of the whole world died in the courtroom. May he rest in peace," he said.

"My brother, you are free! May you rest in peace! May God rest your soul!," Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul also tweeted.

Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop expressed deep sorrow for Morsi's death, which came in the courtroom where he faced a slew of charges.

"Condolences to the Egyptian people, Islamic world and all the oppressed people. I believe that his struggle and his life will guide those following him," Sentop wrote on the microblogging site.

"Mursi and his friends are the winners before the justice and history and the putschists are losers. Mursi is a great leader who has the courage to stand on the side of legitimacy. Mursi was imprisoned, but more free than those who imprisoned him," he wrote in a Turkish post.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said: "The struggle of democracy, the struggle of the search for rights and the struggle of the oppressed against the persecution has another martyr today. Of course there will be others, but none will ever be forgotten."

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also offered condolences.

"The coup took him away from power, but his memory will not be erased from our hearts. The Ummah will not forget his firm stance! Rest in peace Morsi," Cavusoglu posted.

Ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's acting chairman Numan Kurtulmus called Morsi a "martyr" who had been elected by the legitimate votes of Egyptian people and expressed condolences.

"Egypt's first elected President Mohammed Morsi, was being tried in the courtrooms under the control of the junta after an immoral and unlawful coup. He was martyred in the courtroom," AK Party spokesman Omer Celik said.

"Those who raised their voices to the coup and searched for ways of appealing fulfilled and are trying to fulfill their duty. But the so-called democratic world could not pass this test. They were silent against the executions and laid the red carpet to the putschists. This shame will always be written on their forehead," he added.

Morsi died Monday during a court appearance to face charges many believed were politically-motivated.

The 67-year-old lost consciousness during the string of legal procedures he has been forced to face since his ouster and imprisonment during a 2013 military coup.

There were six criminal charges against the former leader including, jailbreak, murder, spying for Qatar, spying for Hamas and Hezbollah, insulting the judiciary and involvement in terrorism.