Turkish FM in Kuwait for talks on resolving GCC row
Mevlut Cavusoglu in Kuwait to push the mediation efforts before a meeting with the Saudi king on Friday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks in Kuwait to push mediation efforts aimed at resolving a standoff between a Saudi-led alliance and Qatar.
Ahead of the talks in Kuwait on Thursday, Cavusoglu told a press conference that he will travel to the holy city of Mecca on Friday for talks with Saudi King Salman.
“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.
Cavusoglu held talks on Wednesday with Qatar’s emir and foreign minister.
The Turkish foreign minister said Qatari officials believe they are not the cause of the current crisis and want to know the claims of the four countries.
“We are trying hard to prevent any escalation and find a quick solution to the crisis … Resolving the crisis is not through taking [boycott] decisions but through dialogue,” Cavusoglu said.
The crisis has put Turkey in a delicate position as Ankara regards Qatar as its chief ally in the Gulf but is also keen to maintain its improving relations with the key regional power Saudi Arabia.