Parliamentary speaker: Turkey, Qatar stand together in face of challenges


Turkey and Qatar have always been true friends supporting each other in the face of numerous challenges and these friendly ties will be maintained, Parliamentary Speaker Binali Yıldırım said on Tuesday.

"The two countries that have been facing many challenges so far, have been able to overcome these problems so far with mutual help and solidarity," Yıldırım said at an event organized in Ankara for the celebration of Qatar's National Day.

He also congratulated the Qataris on the anniversary of their independence.

Referring to the fourth meeting of the Turkey-Qatar High Strategic Committee held in Istanbul last month, Yıldırım underlined that relations between Qatar and Turkey have been carried to higher levels with the decisions that were taken in the meeting.

Speaking at the event, Qatar's Ambassador to Turkey Salem bin Mubarak Al-Shafi said that Ankara and Doha have been moving in harmony in international and regional issues.

Touching on the challenges faced by the two countries in recent years including the coup attempt in Turkey, economic challenges and the Gulf crisis affecting Qatar, Al-Shafi said that the two countries managed to leave difficulties behind them and move ahead.

The ambassador added that Qatar will always continue to support Turkey in the face of hardships.

The Gulf row in the region last year was an incident during which cooperation between Turkey and Qatar was highly visible.

In June 2017, four Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, abruptly severed diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a blockade on the tiny Gulf country, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

The Qatari government has denied the accusation, blasting the blockade as unjustified and a violation of international law. Amid the rift, Turkey has provided increased support to Qatar, boosting food and other exports to meet any shortages.

In his visit to Ankara in August, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani pledged $15 billion in investments in Turkey showing Doha's support to the country during a crisis with the U.S.