06 June 2017•Update: 06 June 2017
By Emin Avundukluoglu and Meltem Ozturk
ANKARA
Turkey's main opposition leader Tuesday called upon Qatar and Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party to stop supporting the Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, known as ‘Ikhwan’.
Addressing a parliamentary group meeting of his Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu evaluated the freezing of diplomatic ties with Qatar by five Arab countries.
"Qatar should cut its support to Ikhwan, in other words the Muslim Brotherhood," he said.
Kilicdaroglu also suggested the AK Party to keep distance from the Muslim Brotherhood. "In the same manner, the Justice and Development Party should keep away from politically supporting Ikhwan."
He also criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for supporting Ikhwan. "This is very dangerous. He should withdraw his support."
Kilicdaroglu also suggested that Turkey should not be a part of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. "We will preserve our friendship with the Arab world, but we will conscientiously avoid on being part of the fights in the Arab world.”
On Monday, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen all announced their decision to sever diplomatic relations with Doha, citing "national security concerns".
In recent years, a number of Iraqi officials, including the former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, have accused Qatar of supporting terrorism in Iraq.
According to Doha, "baseless" allegations that it supports terrorism are being used to tarnish the image and unity of the Gulf states.
In 2013, Saudi Arabia provided substantial support to Egypt’s post-coup military regime after Mohamed Morsi -- Egypt’s first freely elected president and a Muslim Brotherhood leader -- was ousted by the Egyptian army.
In 2014, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain temporarily withdrew their ambassadors from Doha, saying Qatar had failed to comply with the principles of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The three states also formally designated the Brotherhood as a “terrorist group”.
