July 13, 2017•Update: July 13, 2017
By Handan Kazanci
ISTANBUL
Qatar and Turkey “will be partners forever”, said a former deputy prime minister of the Gulf country said on Thursday.
“In times of crisis, you understand who is your friend and who is your enemy,” Abdullah Bin Hamad al-Attiyah, who also served as Qatar’s energy minister, told Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the 22nd World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul.
The Gulf crisis was triggered by the cutting-off of trade and diplomatic relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which accuse Doha of supporting terrorism.
Qatar denies the accusation and says the blockade is in violation of international law.
Turkey has asked Saudi Arabia, as the strongest country in the region, not to allow the crisis to develop into an even bigger one.
Al-Attiyah said: “Qatari people, they will never forget Turkey and the Turkish people. They will be our partners forever.
“Qatar and Turkey, they have a very strong relationship and they are allies,” he said.
“If you go to Qatar you go to any supermarket you will see full of Turkish products.”
On Wednesday, Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said Turkey would continue to meet Qatar’s daily and long-term needs during a meeting with his Qatari counterpart in Ankara.
“So far, Turkey has exported 15,000 tons of supplies to Qatar. During this period, the total value of our exports to Qatar has reached some $15 million," Zeybekci said.
Al-Attiyah said that that he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the opening ceremony of the World Petroleum Congress.
“Mr. Erdogan will go to Qatar,” he said.
