Ankara: Turkey declares Egyptian ambassador persona non-grata

Turkey declared Egypt's ambassador "persona non grata" and downgraded diplomatic relations to the level of charge d'affaires on Saturday, in a tit-for-tat move after Cairo expelled its envoy, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry said it summoned Egypt's charge d'affairs to inform him that "our relations were downgraded to the level of charge d'affaires and Egyptian Ambassador Abderahman Salah El-Din ... is declared persona non grata in line with the reciprocity principle that forms the basis of international relations." Both Turkey and Egypt had recalled their respective envoys in August, but while the Turkish ambassador eventually returned to Cairo in September, Egyptian Abderahman Salah El-Din stayed home.