Turkey asks Egypt for explanation over seized weapons

Turkey on Friday demanded an explanation from Egyptian authorities following a report that blank cartridge guns, which could be converted into real weapons, were seized in a container arriving from Turkey. "Such claims must be immediately investigated in a most serious and comprehensive way... concrete information about the weapons that have allegedly been seized is being demanded from the relevant Egyptian authorities through the Turkish Embassy in Cairo, " said a statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. "Turkey, which attributes crucial importance to the stability and peace of brotherly Egypt, believes that resorting to violence in this country is totally unacceptable regardless of its purpose and strongly condemns all kinds of violence," the statement said. Egyptian TV reported on Wednesday evening that blank cartridge guns had been captured in Egypt.