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The sensitivity of Qatar and Turkey in delivering humanitarian aid to Afghan people should set an example to the international community, the Turkish foreign minister said on Monday.

“The Afghan people need serious humanitarian aid. The international community needs to deliver this humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, regardless of political motives. Qatar’s and Turkey’s sensitivity should set an example in this regard,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha.

Underlining that he is working in coordination with institutions of both countries to deliver additional humanitarian aid, Cavusoglu said Turkey has allocated funds that were transferred for providing humanitarian aid.

“Turkish Maarif Foundation continues its educational activities. It keeps many of its schools there open and 10 of these are schools for girls,” he added.

The Turkish Red Crescent and the Qatari Red Crescent are actively delivering aid to the Afghan people in the field, he said.

Hailing Qatar’s efforts to achieve peace and an agreement in Afghanistan, Cavusoglu said they also discussed ways to keep the airports open in Afghanistan.

These issues need to be well negotiated with the Taliban, he said, adding that Turkey’s cooperation with Qatar continues in different fields.

Turkey has “exceptional and excellent relations with Qatar,” Cavusoglu also noted.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey favors maintaining unity and solidarity with the Gulf states, and boosting ties, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday ahead of an official visit to Qatar.

Turkey-Qatar relations will continue in a “much more productive way,” Erdogan told reporters at Ataturk Airport before leaving Istanbul for Doha, Qatar’s capital.

Stressing the importance of further cooperation with Doha, the president said Turkish businessmen have carried out some $15 billion work in Qatar.

“In addition to Qatar, we are trying to improve our cooperation with other countries in the Gulf,” he further said.

“We welcome the diplomatic efforts to reopen dialogue channels and clear up misunderstandings in the Gulf region,” the president stressed.

The Turkish leader later departed for a two-day official visit to Qatar, where he will attend the 7th meeting of the Supreme Strategic Committee between the two countries.

Erdogan’s visit comes at the invitation of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, according to Turkey’s Communications Directorate.

Bilateral relations will be reviewed in all dimensions, and steps that can be taken to deepen cooperation will be discussed at the Strategic Committee meeting, which will be co-chaired by Erdogan and Al Thani with the participation of the relevant ministers.

Regional and international issues will also be discussed during the meetings and signing of various agreements and memoranda of understanding is also on the agenda.

Ankara and Doha enjoy strong relations, particularly since the 2017 blockade of the Gulf country by Saudi Arabia and others.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Palestine on Monday accused the US administration of giving Israel time to complete its annexation to the occupied West Bank.

“The US management of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict…gives the [Israeli] occupation state time to complete the annexation of the West Bank,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry called on Washington and the international community to stop the policy of “managing” the conflict.

“It is required to take practical steps to solve the conflict based on the peace international references, and the land-for-peace principle and the vision of the two-state solution,” it added.

The ministry went on to condemn the Israeli government’s approval of the building of new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank.

Last week, the Israeli government approved eight settlement plans that include the construction of 1,058 settlement units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to “refrain from unilateral steps that exacerbate tensions and undercut efforts to advance a negotiated two-state solution, including advancing settlement activity.”

Israeli and Palestinian estimates indicate there are about 650,000 settlers living in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the West Bank.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in occupied territories are considered illegal.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The 12th Bosphorus Summit, an annual international economic event, kicked off in Turkey’s commercial capital Istanbul on Monday.

The two-day event, organized by the International Cooperation Platform (ICP), is being held under the theme of “Challenges for a Better World,” with top officials, experts, academics expected to attend it.

The summit will address various topics such as foreign economic relations, investing in Islamic finance, innovation, and sustainability in aviation.

Cyber security, agriculture, green energy, climate change, and displaced people will also be discussed.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a text message sent to the event, said that the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years has once again shown the injustices in the global system.

The international community, especially developed countries, did not give a good test during the pandemic, he criticized.

Erdogan said: “We as Turkey have been drawing attention to the demand for justice and reform in the global system by saying ‘the world is bigger than five’ for a long time.

“We do not only criticize, we also suggest solutions to problems, believing that a fairer world is possible.”

The summit will open new horizons in a period of significant changes on a global scale, Erdogan added.

Talal Abu Ghazaleh, an ICP honorary chair, said in his opening speech,: “The most difficult and challenging situation that the whole world needs to deal with is climate change.”

He urged that the issue should be addressed based on rebuilding the society and the economy in a sustainable way following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ghazaleh also said that artificial intelligence and its usage by governments is another hot topic that will be discussed in the upcoming period.

Abdullah Matouq Al Matouq, head of the International Islamic Charitable Organization, said there is a refugee issue that the international community has to deal with.

“I’m not just talking about giving tents and basic necessities to these people. Organizations working in this field should be supported financially,” he asserted.

Al Matouq received an award from the summit for his efforts in the humanitarian aid field.

Rona Yircali, another honorary chair of the ICP, said capitalism needs to carried out through new standards with environmental concerns, new technologies and institutions kept in mind.

Great reset is becoming an accepted mainstream application and all nations need to work on this new theme in transition to new greener economy, he said.

Behgjet Pacolli, former president of Kosovo, said his country offers several opportunities and advantages for foreign investors.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Since the rise of the Justice and Development (AK) Party to power in Turkey in 2002, relations between Turkey and Qatar have witnessed rapid development in various fields.

In a volatile region like the Middle East, the ability of the two countries to maintain strong relations and have a convergence of views on many regional and international matters represents a rare “distinguished experience” that has provided a strong basis for increased interdependence and cooperation between the two allies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to pay a two-day official visit to the Qatari capital Doha on Monday to attend the 7th meeting of the Turkey-Qatar Supreme Strategic Committee.

His visit comes at the invitation of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Turkey’s Communications Directorate said Sunday in a statement.

The two leaders are expected to review bilateral relations in all dimensions and discuss steps that can be taken to deepen bilateral cooperation, in addition to regional and international issues.

Big Boom

While relations between Turkey and Qatar officially began in 1979 with the opening of the two countries’ embassies in Doha and Ankara, they witnessed a great boom following the AK Party’s rise to power in 2002. In the same year, Erdogan, then the country’s prime minister, visited Qatar alongside a number of his cabinet members.

The two countries agreed to develop economic relations especially in the field of energy. Several other high-level visits followed, which have seen more deals reached in various fields.

In 2008, the first Turkish-Qatari Business Forum was held in Doha, in the presence of the then Turkish President Abdullah Gul. In the same year, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to start comprehensive cooperation between them in various fields.

In 2013, Erdogan inaugurated the new headquarters of the Turkish Embassy in Doha, and Qatar was the first Arab country visited by Erdogan after he assumed the presidency in 2014.

In December 2014, President Erdogan and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad, signed an agreement to establish the Joint Strategic Committee between the two countries.

Doha hosted the first session of the Joint Strategic Committee and a milestone achievement was made as the two countries agreed to cement relations between their respective armies.

Other sessions followed with the two countries taking turns to host them. Over the years, the two countries have widened their horizon of cooperation to include health, technology, and scientific cooperation and intellectual property among others.

Of all the agreements signed since the establishment of the Joint Strategic Committee, defense and military cooperation has made the fastest progress with an agreement reached in December 2014 to station Turkish forces on Qatari soil. The Turkish parliament ratified the deal in March 2015.

The new headquarters of the Turkish-Qatari joint forces known as Khalid bin Al-Walid Base was opened in December 2019 in the presence of senior military leaders from the two countries.

Failed coup attempt

In the spirit of fraternal relations, Qatar was the first Arab country to condemn the failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016.

Qatar’s support, which came even before the coup was foiled, was acknowledged by President Erdogan, who received a phone call from Sheikh Tamim on the night of the failed coup attempt.

Tamim expressed his condemnation of the coup attempt and reiterated his country’s support and solidarity with the Republic of Turkey.

In affirmation of Qatar’s support for Turkey, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was the first foreign official to visit Ankara to reiterate his country’s support for Turkey just two weeks after the failed coup attempt.

Breaking the siege

On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt abruptly severed diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a land, sea, and air blockade in hopes of making it comply with a long list of demands.

The four states accused Doha of “supporting terrorism,” an allegation vociferously denied by Qatar, describing the Saudi-led embargo as a violation of international law.

But the Turkish response was decisive. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar immediately stated that Turkey would not close its base in Qatar.

On June 7, the Turkish parliament promptly approved legislation allowing the deployment of Turkish troops to Qatar.

Furthermore, Turkey made food shipments, water, and medicine to Qatar via air and sea freight. The Turkish government also promised to provide the necessary materials to build projects for the FIFA World Cup 2022.

In return of good faith, Qatar announced $15 billion in direct investments in the Turkish economy, following the sharp decline in the Turkish lira in August 2018.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s benchmark stock index opened the week at 1,921.19 points on Monday, up 0.56% or 10.78 points, from the previous all-time high close.

On Friday, Borsa Istanbul’s BIST 100 index surged by 1.61% to 1,910.41 points, with a daily trading volume of 30.2 billion liras ($2.2 billion).

The US dollar/Turkish lira exchange rate rose to 13.8000 as of 9.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT), versus 13.7950 at Thursday’s close.

The euro/Turkish lira exchange rate also climbed to 15.6000, compared to 15.5680, while one British pound traded for 18.2910 Turkish liras, down from 18.3250.

One barrel of Brent crude oil was sold for around $71.50 as of 10 a.m. local time (0700GMT

Source: Anadolu Agency

Qatar and Turkey are expected to sign 12 new agreements during a visit by the Turkish president, its Gulf nation’s foreign minister said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Qatar’s capital Doha, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani hailed the Turkish economy as one “built on a solid foundation” while underlining that his country maintains “massive investments” in Turkey.

On Monday, Erdogan will be in Qatar for a two-day official visit to attend the seventh meeting of the Turkey-Qatar Supreme Strategic Committee.

His visit comes at the invitation of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Turkey’s Communications Directorate said on Sunday in a statement.

The two leaders are expected to review bilateral relations in all dimensions and discuss steps that can be taken to deepen cooperation, in addition to regional and international issues.

The Qatari top diplomat also noted that the Turkish-Qatari summit will address the Palestinian issue, developments in Syria, and Afghanistan.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The development of trade relations and cooperation between Doha and Ankara will reflect on the stability in the Middle East, Turkey’s ambassador to Qatar said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Qatar, Mustafa Goksu said the two countries are expected to sign a series of new agreements in trade, investment, development, culture, youth affairs, sports, diplomacy, health, religious affairs, and media cooperation.

On the invitation of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Erdogan is paying an official visit to Qatar on Monday to attend the 7th meeting of the Supreme Strategic Committee between the two countries.

Emphasizing that relations between Turkey and Qatar are based on deep-rooted ties of friendship and brotherhood, Goksu emphasized that the ties have developed rapidly in all areas thanks to mutual visits.

“We believe the new agreements to be signed will further strengthen our common ties, especially in the light of new initiatives and reconciliation steps in the region,” the ambassador said.

“Therefore, the bilateral developments between Doha and Ankara will definitely be reflected in the growth, peace, and stability in the Gulf and in the Middle East. Turkey and Qatar are two sister countries that take care of each other in every difficult situation and have strong relations at all levels,” he added.

Cooperation on global issues

Goksu said there is close cooperation between the two countries on regional and international issues.

“Within the framework of the Supreme Strategic Committee meetings, a total of 68 agreements and protocols have been signed between the two countries so far,” he said, adding: “Six of them are common political statements made at committee meetings, covering areas such as economy, industry, defense, security, investment, energy, culture, intellectual property, education, and youth.”

Goksu stated that the regular Supreme Strategic Committee meetings between the two countries are held at the highest level, reflecting the strength and extent of bilateral relations.

“Turkey and Qatar, which have close historical and cultural ties, always demonstrate cooperation on international issues. I am sure this exemplary cooperation will grow further in the future.”

Economic, trade relations

“With the trade volume between the two countries reaching nearly $2 billion, bilateral relations have witnessed an unprecedented development,” Goksu said.

Pointing out that Turkey’s main exports to Qatar include electronics, furniture, carpets, construction materials, and jewelry, the envoy said the most important imports from Qatar are unprocessed aluminum, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and plastic products.

Goksu stated that the current value of Qatar’s investments in Turkey has reached $33.2 billion, while the present value of Turkey’s investments in Qatar is $32 billion.

Source: Anadolu Agency