Turkey sends 5,000 tonnes of food to Qatar

Turkey’s Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said his country airlifted 5,000 tonnes of foodstuff to Qatar to help ease the embargo imposed by its neighbours amid a major diplomatic crisis, aljazeera.com reported yesterday.Speaking to Turkish TV yesterday, Zeybekci said trucks were also on the way. “Our shipments via sea route will also begin this weekend,” he said. “Turkey could supply all the humanitarian needs of Qatar.”Meanwhile, Turkish exports of fresh fruits and vegetables to Qatar have increased significantly in recent times, according to a statement issued by the West Mediterranean Exporters Association yesterday.The association’s chairman of the board, Mustafa Satici, said an increase of 724% was registered in the period extending from May 1 to June 15, compared to the same period last year, the official Qatar News Agency reported. The value of Turkish exports to Qatar amounted to $379,861,000 during this period, he added. Also, the value of tomatoes exported to Qatar during the same period amounted to $246,070,000.