Erdogan assures support to Qatar amid diplomatic row

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to continue supporting Qatar amid a diplomatic row engulfing that Gulf state.

"Now, there are ones who are bothered because of us being together with our Qatari brothers or sending and exporting food supplies, drugs etc - no matter if they are in hunger or thirst - should excuse us. We will continue to give all our support to Qatar," Russian Today quoted Erdogan, as saying at an iftar with members of his Justice and Development (AK) Party in Istanbul.

Erdogan said he had never witnessed Doha supporting terrorism, adding Turkey "will continue to give all kinds of support to Qatar".

The Turkish leader has urged Saudi Arabia to reduce tensions and lift sanctions. However, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the U.A.E. in a collective statement has accused 59 individuals and 12 charity organizations in Qatar of being "linked to terror"

"It is wrong to add more troubles on top of everything in the term that the Muslim world is already struggling with a lot of problems," Turkish president said. "I am calling you: There won't be any winners in the brother's fight."

"You have to work for bringing brothers together. This is what we expect from Saudi, the Custodian of the Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina," Erdogan added.

Erdogan has called for dialogue and negotiation among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to ease the unprecedented diplomatic crisis that has erupted after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed diplomatic ties and traffic links with resource-rich emirate, accusing Doha of sponsoring and funding terrorist organizations.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who initially offered to host a White House meeting to resolve the prevailing Gulf crisis, also attacked Doha, accusing the monarchy of sponsoring terrorism. In a call with Qatari Emir Tameem Bin Hamad Al Thani on Wednesday, the President offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary, according to a White House statement.

But on Friday, Trump said ,"Doha has "historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level... the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding - they have to end that funding - and its extremist ideology."

Rejecting to comply with Saudi demands which were delivered by a Kuwaiti envoy, Qatar said Doha is willing and prepared to be isolated "forever" as long as foreign powers don't interfere with its sovereignty or foreign policy.

Turkey's parliament passed legislation on Wednesday permitting the deployment of troops to a Turkish military base in Qatar. Ankara will also train the Qatari police force.

-ANI