Turkey's Erdogan: Saudi demand he close Qatar base is 'Disrespectful'

TeleSur | – –

Erdogan told journalists after Eid al-Fitr prayers that “It (the list of demands from Qatar’s neighbors to lift the ban) is a breach of Qatar’s sovereignty rights.”

On Sunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared that he supported Qatar’s response to a list of demands issued by the Arab states that boycotted the emirate.

The president said Turkey endorsed Qatar’s response to the 13 demands, which include closing the Al Jazeera satellite television network, curbing relations with Iran and shutting a Turkish base in the country.

“We consider these demands are against international law,” Erdogan told journalists after Eid al-Fitr – the Ramadan festival of breaking the fast – prayers in Istanbul. “It is a breach of Qatar’s sovereignty rights.”

Erdogan also said, in his address, that the request for the Turkish military base in Qatar to be closed was disrespectful. “Even though they still didn’t come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey,” he said.

Erdogan pointed out that Turkey had offered to set up a military base in Saudi Arabia, in addition to Qatar, but Riyadh had not responded.

Speaking outside a mosque after prayers, Erdogan said he would continue his planned program despite feeling briefly unwell.

“I had a little condition about my blood pressure, related to my diabetes,” he explained.

Qatar has described the pressure from its neighbors as an “illegal blockade” that threatens its sovereignty and that the ultimatum by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain was unreasonable.

TeleSur

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