President Erdoğan to make tour of Gulf countries
- Türkiye
- Compiled from wire services
- Published Date: 12:00 | 18 July 2017
- Modified Date: 10:38 | 18 July 2017
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is planning to visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar on July 23-24, the Turkish presidency said Tuesday.
Erdoğan has been a staunch ally of Qatar in its dispute with Gulf Arab neighbors, reaffirming Turkey's support for Qatar on numerous occasions. He also called for the blockade imposed by Arab states to be completely lifted.
Starting from June 5, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Maldives, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen's internationally backed government and one of Libya's three governments have cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar over accusations that the Gulf nation funds militant groups – charges Doha calls baseless.
Several other Muslim nations also downgraded their diplomatic ties with Qatar.
The Saudi-led anti-Qatar axis issued an ultimatum earlier, including demands Qatar shut down a Turkish military base in Doha, shutting Al Jazeera and curbing ties with Iran.
Qatar rejected the 13-point list of demands its neighbors made for lifting their sanctions.