Turkey backs Qatar offering food supplies

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

Qatar strives to secure food and water supplies in order to prevent possible shortages due to the deterioration of the diplomatic rift in the Persian Gulf as its two biggest suppliers, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, cut trade and diplomatic ties with the country.

The blockings of sea, land and air connection imposed by several Arab countries on Qatar has stopped food shipments and led to the cancellation of flights.

"We are in talks with Turkey and Iran and other countries," the government’s official, who spoke to Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity, said, adding that the supplies would be brought in through Qatar Airways cargo flights.

The official said there were enough grain supplies in the market in Qatar to last four weeks and that the government also had large strategic food reserves in Doha.

Meanwhile, Turkey has declared its full support to Qatar by offering food supplies and adopting a bill in parliament on deploying Turkish troops in Qatar.

The establishment of the Turkish military base in Qatar is stipulated by the agreement on strengthening bilateral cooperation signed by the parties in 2014.

In addition, the Turkish Parliament ratified the "Protocol on Cooperation between the Government of the Turkish Republic and the Government of the State of Qatar in the Field of Education and Training of Gendarmerie Staff."

Seven Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain broke off diplomatic relations with one of the richest and most influential states of the world, accusing it of supporting ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other terrorists. They cut air, sea and land links and ordered Qatari officials and nationals stationed in their countries to return home.

Qatar denied allegations over its support to terrorism and extremism adding that the diplomatic rift was based on "baseless fabricated claims."

The country expressed its readiness for a dialogue to solve the crisis that has recently occurred in Qatar’s relations with a number of Arab states.