Turkey FM in Doha as UN ‘alarmed’ by Gulf crisis
DOHA: Turkey’s foreign minister held talks with Qatar’s emir Wednesday as the search for a diplomatic solution to the Gulf crisis intensified and the UN voiced fears over growing humanitarian concerns in the region.
Mevlut Cavusoglu called for dialogue to end the crisis, after meeting Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al-Thani in Doha.
“The meeting discussed developments of the Gulf crisis and means of solving it in addition to reviewing the strategic ties between the two countries and aspects of developing them on all fronts,” a statement on the Qatar News Agency said.
The reference to “all fronts” could refer to Turkey’s military base in Qatar.
Cavusoglu yesterday travel to Kuwait – which is also seeking to solve the crisis – before holding talks with Saudi King Salman in Saudi Arabia today, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency said.
Ankara is one of Qatar’s strongest allies and earlier this week committed to deploying troops at its base in the emirate.
“Saudi Arabia has the potential and capability to solve this crisis as a wise state and big brother of the region and also as a major actor,” Turkey’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.
“We aim to involve all actors in this process.”
Saudi Arabia is one of several countries which have imposed a political and economic “blockade” on Qatar, in protest at Doha’s support for Islamist extremist groups as well as over its ties to Shiite Iran.
The move has been backed by nations including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and others.
Qatar strongly denies the charges and claims neighbouring countries are trying to interfere with its foreign policy.
The diplomatic push continued elsewhere, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – who has described the decision by Gulf states to cut political and economic ties with Qatar as “inhumane” – expected to hold phone talks with US President Donald Trump in coming days.
Erdogan’s spokesman said a trilateral meeting between Ankara, Paris and Doha was also planned, in addition to efforts already launched by Kuwait’s Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Sabah. — AFP