Turkish FM denies existence of Turkey-Iran-Qatar ‘axis’

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking from Khartoum on Tuesday, dismissed the possibility of any cooperation deals being signed between Turkey, Iran and Qatar.

Cavusoglu spoke in Sudan as part of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ongoing visit to the region.

At a press conference held with his Sudanese counterpart, Ibrahim Ghandour, Cavusoglu spoke about Turkey's Middle East policy.

Asked about prospects for regional cooperation between Ankara, Tehran and Doha, he said: "There is no Turkey-Iran-Qatar axis."

Turkey does not discriminate between fellow Muslim countries, Cavusoglu said, adding that Ankara had been one of the most vocal critics of Iran’s policy vis-à-vis Syria and Iraq.

"Now we have very warm ties with Sudan. Does that mean there is a Turkey-Sudan ‘axis’?" he asked.

Turkey’s main concern, he said, is to promote unity across the Islamic world, “not to sow sedition between Muslim countries as others have done”.

Ghandour, for his part, reiterated his country’s keenness to maintain Red Sea security, stressing Sudan’s readiness to cooperate with different states of the region in this regard.

He went on to point out that Turkey and Sudan had signed an agreement on Monday pertaining to Red Sea security, which, he asserted, could pave the way for stepped-up military cooperation with Ankara.

“Further military arrangements with Turkey are highly likely,” he said. “We have just signed a military agreement that could lead to greater military cooperation with Turkey in regards to the Red Sea.”

Ghandour also revealed that Sudan had temporarily leased Sudan’s Suakin Island to Turkish investors.

Located on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, Suakin Island is home to numerous Ottoman-era monuments.

During Erdogan’s three-day visit to Sudan, which wrapped up Tuesday, the two countries signed 21 cooperation agreements covering the fields of agriculture, petroleum, industry, health, education and mining, along with military, political and diplomatic relations.

*Ahmet Sait Akcay contributed to this report from Ankara