Nazli Yuzbasioglu and Mahmoud Barakat
11 February 2021•Update: 11 February 2021
ANKARA
In the Qatari capital Doha, top Turkish and Qatari diplomats on Thursday praised the good state of bilateral ties between the two countries.
After arriving at the final stop of his Gulf tour on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a joint press conference with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
"I could gladly say that our relations, between Turkey and Qatar, grow stronger each day, and are developing in all areas," Cavusoglu told reporters.
He vowed that the two countries would continue working together, with aims to further develop relations in all areas.
On the normalization process among Gulf states, Cavusoglu said: "This is an important start, but I hope relations between these brotherly countries will return to normal in the coming period. But the lifting of embargoes and restrictions is also an important start."
He also stressed the significance of stability, security, and prosperity in the Gulf region, saying: “Turkey wants to further develop our bilateral relations with all countries in the region as well as with regional organizations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council."
Aside from bilateral relations, the foreign ministers also addressed regional matters, with Cavusoglu saying: "Turkey and Qatar have assessed how we could contribute and support to Libya from now on, and in which areas we should support the new administration so it could meet the expectations of the Libyan people."
Reasserting the need for a political solution in Syria, Cavusoglu said Turkey and Qatar are on the same page on this.
"As you can see, we are not only working to improve our bilateral relations. As Turkey and Qatar, we are working and contributing shoulder-to-shoulder to overcome the issues in our region peacefully," he added.
Al-Thani also praised the relations between the two countries, calling them "very special and important."
He also thanked Turkey for its support for the result of the last Gulf Cooperation Council's summit, which concluded with reconciliation from an earlier feud.
"Our relations with Turkey are distinguished and we are looking forward to developing them," he stressed.
He also commented on recent developments in Libya, saying: "We continue to support our brothers in Libya, and we hope a government will be formed soon."
After meeting with Al-Thani, Cavusoglu was also received by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
"Conveyed the greetings of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Amir Sheikh Tamim of Qatar. Qatar emerged stronger from the Gulf dispute. Congratulated him on his leadership during that process," Cavusoglu said on Twitter.
Ankara and Doha enjoy strong relations, particularly since the 2017 blockade of the Gulf country by Saudi Arabia and others.
In recent years the two countries have strengthened military and economic ties.
*Writing and contributions by Merve Aydogan
