Erdogan concludes successful trip to Gulf States

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan described his trip to the Gulf States as successful as he concluded a tour which included Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Anadolu reported on Wednesday. The Turkish president’s tour was intended to strengthen mutual relations and provide the opportunity for an exchange of views related to regional issues.

“I believe that we will, together, take the needed measures that guarantee regional stability,” Erdogan told the media. Turkey, he pointed out, needs “serious support” from the Gulf States, mainly Saudi Arabia, in order to achieve stability, especially in Syria.

When asked whether the Turkish, Saudi and Qatari cooperation regarding Syria will make a change on the ground for the benefit of the Syrian opposition, the president replied, “We have been working for the sake of peace and safety with Saudi and Qatar since 2011. We want Daesh to stop the bloodshed in Syria.”

During his tour, the Turkish leader was accompanied by a delegation including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci, National Defence Minister Fikri Isik and National Intelligence Agency chief Hakan Fidan.