Turkey: Gulf states are violating Qatar's sovereignty

Gulf states’ demands which include the closure of a Turkish military base in Qatar are “unacceptable”, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said yesterday.

“A solution could come in the medium term,” he said in a press conference, speaking alongside his Qatari counterpart, Mohamed Bin Abdul-Rahman Al Thani who is on an official visit to Turkey.

Since 5 June, Qatar has been under a blockade by several Arab countries – including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen – who accuse Doha of supporting terrorism. The Qatari government has denied the accusations, blasting the blockade as “unjustified” and a violation of international law.

Read: Qatar ‘grateful’ for Turkey’s support during blockade

On demands for the closure of the Turkish military base in Qatar, Cavusoglu cited the US military base there, saying:

There is no such dispute with the Americans, nor do they object to it. This [Turkish base] is a deal between two sovereign countries. The Gulf demands violate sovereignty.

He described a recent Qatari deal with the US as “prudent” and said: “It shows that they are open to dialogue.”

#QatarGate

Qatar and the US signed a deal to combat the financing terrorism, during a visit to Doha by the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, a move that comes as the Gulf crisis continues in the region.

Cavusoglu emphasised that Turkey supports Kuwaiti mediation efforts to resolve the crisis.