Alwaght- Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli met his Qatari counterpart Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah in Doha on Saturday amid a Saudi-led embargo on the tiny Persian Gulf nation.
The two ministers discussed cooperation opportunities in military and defense, according to sources close to the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Earlier this week, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdag met the Qatari Health Minister Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari in the Turkish capital Ankara. They discussed cooperation in the field of health and medicine.
Turkey backs Qatar in the Persian Gulf crisis that was triggered early June when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar accusing Doha of funding "terrorism". Qatar has vehemently rejected the allegations as "baseless".
On June 22, the Saudi-leg regimes issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of Al Jazeera TV, limiting ties with Iran, and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country as a prerequisite to lifting the blockade. Doha rejected all the demands, denouncing them as attempts to infringe Qatar's sovereignty.
A key ally of Qatar, Turkey has established a military base in the country - the first Turkish overseas military installation in the Persian Gulf region.
Turkey's siding with Qatar in its spat with Saudi-led regime marks the latest demonstration of the Ankara’s increased desire to spread its influence as a powerful player in the regional and global arena.
