Turkish FM: Qatar Wants An End to Crisis


Turkish FM: Qatar Wants An End to Crisis

TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that Qatar does not want the Persian Gulf crisis to continue as the rift between Doha and the Saudi-led bloc enters its second week.

Cavusoglu held talks in Kuwait with his counterpart Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah on Thursday to push mediation efforts aimed at resolving the standoff between a Saudi-led alliance and Qatar.

While saying an eagerness to resolve the crisis was seen in meetings with Qatari officials, Cavusoglu added that those officials also wanted to be provided with proof of the accusations leveled against the country, Al Jazeera reported.

"We share our views to resolve this problem and remain impartial, but we say what is wrong without hesitation," Cavusoglu said on his return to Ankara from Kuwait on Thursday.

"What is the problem, what are the accusations and what are the evidence? We must lay these out in order to solve this problem".

"This problem can't be solved with embargoes and sanctions that go too far. We need to solve this problem as soon as possible by going through a process of easing the crisis without further escalating tensions", he noted.

On Friday, the Turkish foreign minister is expected to visit Saudi Arabia and share Turkey's "sincere views" on the crisis during a meeting with Saudi officials.

Qatar is facing an economic and diplomatic boycott by Saudi Arabia and its regional allies who cut ties in the worst rift among Persian Gulf Arab states in years.

They accuse Qatar of "funding terrorism", fomenting regional unrest and cozying up to Iran, all of which Qatar denies.

Turkey also did not view the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas as terrorist's organizations, Cavusoglu said.

Speaking on Qatar's $12bn deal with the US to buy F-15 fighter jets, the minister said "just like other country, like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt ... it is natural for Qatar to buy airplanes or parts necessary for its own defense".

A Saudi-led blockade imposed against Qatar raised fears of a food crisis in Qatar, as most of its supplies come from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

But the shortages have eased with Turkey and Iran shipping in meat, fruit and vegetables.

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