Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday criticised the economic and political isolation of Qatar by several Gulf countries, calling it “inhuman and un-Islamic” reported AFP. “Taking action to isolate a country in all areas is inhumane and un-Islamic,” Erdogan said in televised comments to his party in Ankara. He said that Qatar is a country “on which a death sentence in some way has been pronounced”.
Erdogan strongly rejected accusations by the Gulf countries that Qatar supports terrorism. He said Qatar, like Turkey, had been a staunch opponent of Islamic State terrorists, adding, “Let’s stop fooling ourselves”.
The Turkish leader called on Saudi King Salman to “show leadership” by solving the crisis. “I think that as the elder statesman of the Gulf, the king of Saudi Arabia should solve this affair and show leadership.” But he stopped short of a direct attack on King Salman.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Erdogan would hold talks on the crisis with United States President Donald Trump. Turkey’s Parliament last week approved deploying troops to a Turkish base in Qatar.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and other West Asian countries broke off diplomatic relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism. The action has caused problems for Turkey, which regards Qatar as its chief ally in the Gulf, but also wants to maintain its relations with Saudi Arabia. Turkey also wishes to maintain good ties with Iran, which is seen as an opponent of Saudi Arabia’s and has close relations with Doha.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!