In reply to Egypt’s Monday statement that accused the Turkish president of lying and exaggerating, Turkey said that “none of these claims can be taken seriously or be accepted”, and announced its continued concern about human rights in Egypt.

The Egyptian foreign ministry had said that Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan is “not in a position to give lessons to others about democracy and respect for human rights and appoint himself the guardian of them”.

A Turkish foreign ministry statement released on Wednesday said: “Relentless exclusionary and undemocratic practices still persist in Egypt… which trample human dignity, the will of the Egyptian people and its sovereignty “, referring to the forced dispersal in August 2013 of the Rabaa Square sit-in that had demanded the return of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, the “thousands” killed and “tens of thousands” arrested, and “hundreds…sentenced to death in groundless trials”.

The statement also referred to political parties, democratic movements and youth groups that have been banned “on arbitrary grounds”, and the dozens of journalists, including foreigners, that have been convicted in sentences “that are incompatible with the rule of law”.

Turkey said that reactions to such practices cannot be considered “interference in internal affairs”.