Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared his support for Qatar, after the emirate rejected a list of demands issued by Arab states, which have been boycotting Qatar for its alleged support of terror organizations across the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have sent a 13-point list of demands apparently aimed at dismantling their tiny but wealthy neighbor’s two-decade-old interventionist foreign policy which has infuriated them.
The list of demands came as an ultimatum, which included the closing of Al Jazeera television, curbing ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, the closing of a Turkish military base and to pay compensation to the four Arab states for the implications of Qatar’s foreign conduct. Qatar decided to reject the list of demands, a move welcomed by Turkey. Turkish President Erdogan declared his approval of Qatar’s attitude toward the list, condemning it as “against international law”, while declaring that no-one should intervene or attack the sovereignty of any country.
“We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands. We appreciate that this approach of 13 demands is against international law because you cannot attack or intervene in the sovereignty of a country according to the international law,” said Erdogan.
Turkey’s support of Qatar has been vocal, as both countries are perceived as supporters of the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. Thus, the four Arab powers demanded of Qatar to close the Turkish military base in the country, to weaken Ankara’s influence in Doha. The demand angered Turkey, and was condemned by President Erdogan as “disrespectful.”