Turkey's Erdo?an says Saudi executions 'internal legal matter'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an on Jan. 6 refused to condemn Saudi Arabia for its execution of 47 convicts, including a prominent Shiite cleric, saying it was an "internal legal matter" of the kingdom.

"The executions in Saudi Arabia are an internal legal matter. Whether you approve of the decision or not is a separate issue," Erdo?an said in a televised speech, his first reaction to the controversy which has raised tensions between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran.

The Turkish president last month visited Riyadh for talks with King Salman and the political elite, in a new sign of Ankara's warm ties with the kingdom.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia, both overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim powers, share the same vision over the conflict in Syria where they believe only the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad can bring an end to almost five years of civil war.

Meanwhile, tensions have increased between Turkey and mainly Shiite Iran, which along with Russia is the key remaining ally of Assad.

The crisis began at the weekend when Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shiite cleric and activist Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr as well as 46 other convicts, prompting a furious reaction from Tehran.

Iranian protesters then ransacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Riyadh, Bahrain and Sudan severed relations with Tehran while Kuwait recalled its ambassador.

Erdo?an dismissed suggestions that the executions were aimed at provoking tensions with Shiite Muslims and also said the attack on the Saudi mission was "unacceptable".    
 
"Only three [of those executed] were Shiites," he added, questioning "why the world did not react" to the condemnation of "thousands of people to death" following the ousting in Egypt of former...