Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to begin his two-day trip to the Gulf in an effort to help resolve the dispute between Qatar and four other Arab states.
Erdogan is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah on Sunday for a meeting with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to his office.
He will then depart for Kuwait – the main mediator in the Gulf crisis – and later Qatar.
“We will work until the end for the solution of the dispute between the brotherly nations of the region,” he said in comments after prayers on Friday.
“Political problems are temporary, whereas economic ties are permanent, and I expect the investors from Gulf countries to choose long-term ties.”
Turkey has stood firmly by Qatar since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties and imposed air, sea and land blockade on Doha last month.
They also issued a list of 13 demands that included closure of a newly-opened Turkish military base.
Erdogan has said the demands are unlawful and has called for an end to the crisis, citing the need for Muslim solidarity and strong trade ties in the region.
The dispute has so far proven intractable and Erdogan has said Saudi Arabia should solve the crisis.
On Friday, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called for dialogue to resolve the crisis but stressed that any talks must respect his country’s sovereignty.
