Egypt summons Qatari ambassador to protest interference

The Egyptian foreign ministry Saturday summoned the Qatari ambassador to express rejection to a statement by Doha which Cairo deems as interference in Egypt's internal affairs, MENA reported.

In the statement, Doha said the Egyptian government's recent decision to label the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group was a prelude to kill protesters, Xinhua reported.

"It is only a prelude to a shoot-to-kill policy on demonstrators," the Qatari foreign ministry statement said Friday after at least 17 people were killed during protests backing former president Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted by the army in early July.

The statement added "inclusive dialogue" between all sides in Egypt was the only solution to the nation's crisis.

Qatar was an staunch ally to Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood. Its ties with Egypt have deteriorated tremendously since the Islamist leader's ouster.

Egypt's army-backed authorities accuse the Cairo office of Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based pan-Arab TV channel, of airing false information and inciting anti-government protests and ordered it to go off air.