Tunisia summoned Turkey’s ambassador over recent remarks made by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who criticized the dissolution of the country’s parliament.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi said he spoke with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu regarding the remarks, saying that he considers it "an interference in Tunisian affairs."
Othman continued by saying that the two countries’ relations "should be based on respect for the independence of the national decision and choices of the Tunisian people," and that his country does not allow questions against its democratic path.
On Tuesday, Erdoğan and other Turkish officials criticized the move by Tunisia's President Kais Saied to dissolve the country's parliament last week, saying that it was a blow to the will of the Tunisian people and a "smearing of democracy."
"Democracy is a system that is the embodiment of the respect between the elected and appointed. We see the developments in Tunisia as smearing of democracy," he said.
"Dissolving parliament where there are elected officials is concerning for the future of Tunisia and is a blow to the will of the people," he added.
The president continued by noting that Turkey will continue to stand with Tunisia and the Tunisian people in this "critical process."
Erdoğan had urged Saied to allow parliament to continue its work in August.
Tunisia's political crisis escalated last week when more than half the members of parliament held an online session to revoke Saied's decrees. Saied suspended parliament in July in a move his opponents call a coup.
Saied said last week he would not hold early elections, the latest step in a march to one-man rule after brushing aside most of the democratic constitution.
Tunisia has been gripped by a deep crisis since Jan. 16, 2021 when Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi announced a cabinet reshuffle but Saied refused to hold a ceremony to swear in the new ministers.
The country is seen as the only Arab country that succeeded in carrying out a democratic transition among other Arab countries that also witnessed popular revolutions that toppled the ruling regimes, including Egypt, Libya and Yemen. However, many Tunisians have seen little improvement in their lives and have become disillusioned with a dysfunctional and corrupt political process.