Alwaght- Turkey, Iran and Qatar plant to hold talks on land trade routes following a blockade imposed on Doha by Saudi-led Arab regimes.
Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said Friday that the talks are set to take place in Tehran on the sidelines of the oath-taking ceremony of Iran's president-elect Hassan Rouhani on Saturday.
"We're thinking about alternatives for land trade routes with Qatar but the easiest way is passing through Iran," Zeybekci told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.
Since 5 June, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, which they accuse of supporting what they call extremist groups, including Palestinian Hamas resistance movement and the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as having close ties with neighboring Iran, Saudi Arabia’s main rival the west Asia.
Qatar has defended itself against the accusation saying the groups are not extremist, while insisting on having good ties with Iran.
The Saudi-led block later issued demands that Qatar must meet before ties are restored including curtailing its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, shutting down the al-Jazeera TV channel, closing a Turkish military base in Doha and downgrading its ties with Iran. Qatar rejected the demands arguing they are illogical and infringe on its sovereignty.
"We want to meet all of Qatar's needs. We want all good providers in Turkey to sell products, including cleaning materials, domestic appliances [...] and textile, in Qatar," Zeybekci stated.
Trade between Turkey and Qatar increased in June and July, Zeybekci said, adding: "We have to make this increase permanent."
Turkey's exports to Qatar totaled $52.4 million in June 2017, while they reached $36.2 million in May 2017. Turkey's imports from Qatar amounted to $23.7 million in June, compared to $19.6 million in May.
Iran started to export food to Qatar immediately after the Persian Gulf country came under the Saud-led blockade. Many of Qatar Airways' flights to southern Europe and Africa the previously passed through Saudi Arabia have been be rerouted through Iran and Turkey.
