In Doha, Qatari, Turkish businessmen discuss trade ties

By Ahmed Yusuf

DOHA, Qatar (AA) - A delegation of Turkish businessmen met with their Qatari counterparts in Doha on Wednesday to discuss bilateral trade and economic relations amid Qatar’s ongoing diplomatic crisis.

A delegation from Turkey’s Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) met with two prominent Qatari businessmen -- Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad bin Abdullah al-Thani and Sheikh Suhaim Bin Khaled bin Hamad al-Thani -- in the presence of Turkish Ambassador to Qatar Fikret Ozer.

The Turkish delegation included MUSIAD head Abdurrahman Kaan; Oktay Ercan, the chairman of Sur International Investment; Adem Ceylan, Turkish Airlines vice-president of marketing and sales for the Middle East and Cyprus; and several representatives of Qatar Commercial Bank.

The meeting tackled means of strengthening cooperation between entrepreneurs from both countries and the ongoing economic boycott of Qatar by several Gulf countries.

On June 5, five Arab states -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Yemen -- abruptly cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

Qatar, for its part, denies the allegation, describing the moves to isolate it as “unjustified”.

-Turkish goods

“Turkey has provided Qatar with many of the commodities it was lacking due to the economic boycott,” Turkish delegation member Atilla Kurucayirli told Anadolu Agency.

“Turkish goods continue to arrive every day in Qatar,” he added.

“Qatar is facing serious shortages in the medical sector, for which it had largely depended on Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE,” Kurucayirli said.

“The Turkish side wants to know Qatar’s exact logistic needs and how to best carry out joint projects that will serve Qatar’s interests in the coming phase,” he added.

Fairuz Mohieddin, the CEO of a major Qatari company, told Anadolu Agency: “We have agreed with the Turkish delegation on a joint strategy for providing Qatar with whatever foodstuffs, medical supplies, and construction materials it needs”.

Since the political crisis began, Mohieddin said, Turkey has supplied Qatar with some 450 tons of fresh food.