By Tevfik Durul and Adham Kako

ANKARA

Qatari Ambassador to Turkey Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi said his country would continue supporting Turkey following recently-imposed U.S. sanctions on the country.

“The State of Qatar is always proactive in supporting its Turkish brothers,” Al Shafi told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.

Qatar, he said, would continue supporting Turkey, as it did during the defeated coup attempt in mid-2016.

Ankara and Doha, he added, shared common points of view on a number of regional and international issues.

Al Shafi went on to note that Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad’s visit to Turkey on Wednesday demonstrated the “depth of Qatar-Turkey relations”.

The emir’s visit, the diplomat said, “will serve to confirm the close links between the Qatari and Turkish people and their common positions vis-à-vis the many challenges they face”.

According to Al Shafi, Qataris have recently bought tens of millions of dollars’ worth of Turkish lira with a view to supporting the Turkish economy.

Describing Turkey as a “strategic ally”, the ambassador added: “Our strong relations with the Republic of Turkey enjoy a special status among our people.”

Turkey-U.S. relations took a nosedive last week, when Washington imposed sanctions on Turkey’s interior and justice ministers after Ankara refused to release an American pastor who faces terrorism-related charges in Turkey.

Last Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump upped the ante by doubling U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel imports.

In response, Turkey raised tariffs on several U.S.-made goods, including alcohol and tobacco products and vehicles.