ANKARA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday criticized the League of Arab States (LAS)-EU summit held in Egypt and said the gathering shows the EU's insincerity because the host country has recently executed several lives.
"How can you talk about democracy to EU member states that accepted the invitation of (Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah) al-Sisi, who executed nine young men last week?" Erdogan said on a campaign rally in Giresun province, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Around 40 EU and Arab leaders gathered during a two-day summit which began on Sunday in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh hosted by Sisi.
Recalling that the EU is against capital punishment, Erdogan said the EU leaders responded to Sisi's invitation although the latter has executed 42 people since he has taken the power.
Relations between Turkey and Egypt have been strained since the Egyptian military, then led by Sisi, overthrew Egyptian former President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, who was a close ally of Erdogan.
The Turkish government has repeatedly rejected the Sisi-led government's massive security crackdown on Morsi's supporters.
Meanwhile, Ankara and Brussels are facing challenge in bilateral relationship. Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday slammed a reported vote at the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee which called for suspension of Turkey's accession negotiations with the EU.
