Egypt’s public prosecutor’s office ordered the release of five people detained following a raid on Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency office in Cairo and the company confirmed an employee was freed.
Two Turks were to be handed to the Egyptian embassy and deported after questioning, while three Egyptians were to be released on a 10,000 Egyptian pound bail, the prosecutor said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Turkey summoned Egypt’s charge d’affaires to protest the raid and detentions.
Egypt in turn summoned Turkey’s charge d’affaires, Egyptian media reported on Thursday.
Ankara’s relations with Cairo have been frosty since the Egyptian army ousted Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Mursi, an ally of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in 2013. The countries are at odds over maritime jurisdiction and offshore resources in the eastern Mediterranean.
Anadolu said one Turkish national was detained and later released.
“Hilmi Balci, one of four employees detained in Egypt, has been released. We expect the others to be released on bail,” Anadolu general manager Senol Kazanci said.
The Egyptian interior ministry said the raid on a flat was used to produce false and “negative” information.
It accused Turkey and the banned Muslim Brotherhood of being behind “adverse activity” at the flat. Egypt’s State Information Service, which accredits foreign media, said Anadolu had no legal status in the country since 2013.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned the raid as “an act of violence” against Anadolu.
