Strategic ties with Qatar getting stronger: Erdogan

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that the bilateral relations between his country and Qatar will continue with greater momentum in the next stage, stating that "besides Qatar, we are working to develop our relations with all other Gulf countries."Erdogan indicated during a press conference held at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, before heading to an official visit to Qatar, that Turkey would work to strengthen relations with the Gulf states for the interest of all parties, and the diplomatic talks will have repercussions on Turkey and the country's economic well-being.He noted that the projects implemented by Turkish businessmen in Qatar amount to about $15bn.The president welcomed the diplomatic efforts to reopen dialogue channels and clear up misunderstandings in the Gulf region.He added that "we support the continuation of our ties and solidarity with all Gulf countries by strengthening future relations."He explained that his current visit to Qatar is to attend the 7th meeting of the Supreme Strategic Committee between the two countries, expressing his confidence that bilateral and delegation-level talks would be very successful.He added that "in 2014, we started with our first steps in order to hold the first meeting of the Strategic Committee, the first meeting was held in Doha in 2015 and relations between Turkey and the State of Qatar are getting stronger day by day from a strategic perspective in line with the history and capabilities of the two countries, stating that within the framework of the mechanism of the Supreme Strategic Committee, we have so far signed 69 political, military, economic and cultural documents with Qatar. Thanks to these agreements, we have moved our co-operation to advanced stages, and we will strengthen it further through the new agreements that will be signed during the 7th meeting on Tuesday."The president affirmed that Turkey and Qatar have maintained their strong positions in the face of the regional challenges they faced in recent years.