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Ankara: We Stand at Equal Lengths from Gulf Row Poles | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah (R) meets with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Kuwait City on June 15, 2017, AFP


Ankara- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that his country is willing to deploy armed troops to Qatar amid rising tensions in the Gulf diplomatic row.

A bloc of three Gulf states joined by Egypt have led a boycott against the gas-rich peninsula in a joint effort to curb its funding of extremists and terror organizations.

Speaking upon his arrival to Kuwait, after having visited Doha, Cavusoglu said that Turkey regards both Saudi Arabia as equally valuable allies. He also reiterated Turkey’s “deep sadness” over the incident.

Cavusoglu discussed with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah “regional and international developments,” the official KUNA news agency said.

Turkey is ready to be a mediator to resolve the diplomatic row in the Gulf region, Cavusoglu added.

Cavusoglu told reporters in Kuwait one day after an official visit to Qatar’s capital, Doha, that Turkey preferred that the crisis be resolved through dialogue with all parties coming together, and that Turkey was ready to do its part as a mediator.

“Although the kingdom is a party in this crisis, we know that King Salman is a party in resolving it,” the Turkish minister said.

“We want to hear the views of Saudi Arabia regarding possible solutions and will share with them our views in a transparent way … We pay a great attention to our relations with them,” he said.

The top diplomat’s remarks follow the polarizing statements made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said that the sanctions imposed against Qatar are unjustified and a huge mistake, and stressing Turkey’s continued support given to Qataris.

Cavusoglu later left for a tour to promote Turkey’s diplomatic and mediatory role, softening the strong language portrayed by Erdogan.

For his part, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said that there are high chances of Erdogan soon visiting Qatar.

A visit to Qatar may be made at any time, but its timing and conditions will be assessed in accordance with political developments, said Kurtulmuş .

He also praised the strong relations shared with Saudi Arabia, reassuring that they uphold a positive course.