Turkey-Qatar relations make important contributions to world peace, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop said Wednesday, underlining that Turkey wants the entire Gulf region to live in peace.
Şentop addressed reporters in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on an official visit to the country.
Noting that the relations between Turkey and Qatar are based on brotherhood, Şentop said that both countries stand by each other in difficult times. Şentop explained that they made this visit in order to improve bilateral relations between parliaments.
He said that they signed a protocol that envisages sharing information and experience between the Qatari Parliament formed in October and the Turkish Parliament.
Expressing that he is pleased that the previous problems in the Gulf have been resolved, Şentop said, "Turkey will always continue to support the establishment of peace and stability."
Ankara and Doha share strong relations, particularly since the 2017 blockade of the Gulf country by Saudi Arabia and others. The two countries have strengthened military and economic ties in recent years. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last month paid an official visit to Doha upon the invitation of the ruling emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on the occasion of the seventh meeting of the Turkey-Qatar Supreme Strategic Committee.
Turkey and Qatar have also been cooperating on numerous regional issues, including the Libyan crisis and Afghanistan. In addition to bilateral trade and diplomatic relations, the two countries played a pivotal role in supporting the legitimate Libyan government and defending Tripoli against putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar's forces in a 14-month-long offensive. They also cooperated to reopen the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport after the Taliban took over following the government's fall and the withdrawal of the United States.
Afghan crisis
Şentop also touched upon the crisis in Afghanistan, where Turkey and Qatar have been cooperating to help. Regarding the two countries' cooperation to operate the Kabul airport, he said: "It's not just a matter of running an airport. There is a great humanitarian drama in Afghanistan. An environment should be created in which international transportation will be opened, transfers will be provided, and aid, especially food and medicine, will be delivered."
Şentop also emphasized that this cooperation is more humanitarian than commercial.
After the Taliban seized control of the country, Turkey offered technical and security assistance to operationalize Kabul's airport. Keeping the airport open after foreign forces handed over control is vital to keeping Afghanistan connected with the world and maintaining an uninterrupted supply of aid for distribution. Turkey has been working with Qatar to reopen the airport in the Afghan capital for international travel.
The Turkish government has taken a pragmatic approach to the recent events in Afghanistan. Underlining that new realities have emerged in Afghanistan, Ankara said it would move forward accordingly while keeping communication with all relevant leaders open.
NATO member Turkey maintained its embassy in Afghanistan after Western countries withdrew following the Taliban takeover and has urged those countries to step up engagement. At the same time, it said it will only work fully with the Taliban if they form a more inclusive administration.
Most recently, Erdoğan announced on Wednesday that the country would be sending a "charity train" to Afghanistan carrying emergency goods.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, the president said the train, carrying 700 tons of food, clothing, and health and emergency goods are to be sent with the support of 10 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) under the coordination of Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
Aid agencies describe Afghanistan's plight as one of the world's most rapidly growing humanitarian crises. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), half the population now faces acute hunger, over 9 million people have been displaced and millions of children are out of school. Last week, the U.N. and its partners launched a $4.4 billion funding appeal to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan in 2022.
U.N. chief Antonio Guterres has warned that millions of Afghans are on the verge of death, urging the international community to release Afghanistan's frozen assets and jump-start its banking system.
Following his visit to Qatar, Şentop arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi for diplomatic talks.
The year 2021 saw Turkey seeking warmer ties with several regional countries and longtime foes after many tumultuous years. Ankara reiterated that Turkey hopes to maximize its cooperation with Egypt and Gulf nations "on a win-win basis," at a time when Ankara intensified diplomacy to mend its fraught ties with Cairo and some Gulf nations after years of tensions.