Qatar crisis slammed
Isolation is inhumane: Erdogan
TURKISH President Tayyip Erdogan yesterday denounced the isolation of Qatar by neighbouring states as a violation of Islamic values.
Erdogan’s comments marked the strongest intervention yet by a powerful regional ally of Doha eight days after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar and applied stringent economic sanctions on it.
Later yesterday, the UAE ambassador to the US, which has an air base in Qatar, said there was no military component to the steps taken against Doha.
Qatar denies accusations that it supports Islamist militants and Shia Iran, arch regional foe of the Sunni Gulf Arab monarchies.
“A very grave mistake is being made in Qatar; isolating a nation in all areas is inhumane and against Islamic values. It’s as if a death penalty decision has been taken for Qatar,” Erdogan told members of his ruling AK Party in Ankara.
“Qatar has shown the most decisive stance against the terrorist organisation Islamic State alongside Turkey. Victimising Qatar through smear campaigns serves no purpose.”
The measures against Qatar, a small oil and gas exporter with a population of 2.7 million people, have disrupted imports of food and other materials, and caused some foreign banks to scale back business.
The UAE envoy, Yousef Al Otaiba, said in Washington: “There is absolutely no military component to anything that we are doing. I have spoken and seen (US Defence Secretary) General (Jim) Mattis four times in the last week; we’ve given them our complete assurance that the steps we have taken will not affect in any way Al Udeid base or any operations supporting or regarding the base.”
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is home to more than 11 000 US and coalition forces.
Qatar, which imported 80% of its food from bigger Gulf Arab neighbours before the diplomatic shutdown, has been talking to Iran and Turkey to secure food and water.
The world’s second largest helium producer, Qatar has also shut its two helium production plants because of the economic boycott, industry sources said yesterday.
Turkey has maintained good relations with Qatar as well as several of its Gulf Arab neighbours. Turkey and Qatar have both provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and backed rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also criticised the measures imposed on Qatar, saying yesterday they were hurting the emirate’s people, not its rulers.
Gulf Arab states have issued no public demands to Qatar, but a list that has been circulating includes severing diplomatic ties with Iran, expulsion of all members of the Palestinian Hamas group and the Muslim Brotherhood, the freezing of all bank accounts of Hamas members, ending support for “terrorist organisations” and ending interference in Egyptian affairs.
Some analysts say demands could also include closing down satellite channel Al Jazeera, or changing its editorial policy.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said Riyadh was ready to send food and medical supplies to Qatar.
The minister, Adel al-Jubeir, defended the Arab powers’ move against Qatar as a boycott, not a blockade, adding: “We have allowed the movement of families between the two countries… so that we don’t divide families.” – Reuters