Obama urges quick return to civilian rule in Egypt

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday expressed "deep concern" over the Egyptian military's decision to remove President Mohamed Morsi from power and suspend the constitution, calling on the army to move "quickly and responsibly" to return "full authority" to an elected civilian government.

Reiterating Washington's position that the future of Egypt can "only be determined" by the Egyptian people, Obama said the United States is "deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsi and suspend the Egyptian constitution."

"I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsi and his supporters," he said in a written statement.