DHAKA: Turkey’s ambassador to Cairo has returned home after being expelled in a diplomatic spat over Ankara’s support for Egypt’s ousted Islamist president.

Turkey’s foreign ministry said Thursday, reports daily Hurriyet.

The row erupted at the weekend after Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan again criticised the military ‘coup’ in Egypt that ousted president Mohamed Mursi in July.

Egypt expelled the Turkish ambassador, prompting Ankara to declare the Egyptian envoy ‘persona non grata’ and downgrading diplomatic relations.

The Turkish envoy Hüseyin Avni Botsalı landed in Istanbul late Wednesday and left the airport without making any comments, the foreign ministry said.

Turkish president Abdullah Gül has voiced hope that relations would be put on a better footing soon, saying after Egypt’s decision on Saturday that the situation was ‘temporary’.

But Erdoğan remains unapologetic.

BDST: 1616 HRS, NOV 28, 2013