Erdogan: Turkey is keen on maintaining "solid ties" with Gulf states

Ankara (IINA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed Ankara's "solid ties" with all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. "Turkey launched the High-Level Strategic Dialogue meetings with countries of the region in 2008. A total of four meetings had been held at this level and the fifth will be in Qatar later this year," he said in an exclusive interview to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) prior to his visit to Kuwait. The interview covered major regional and international developments. Erdogan will arrive in Kuwait on Monday on a two-day official visit in response to an invitation by Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah.
Turkey and Kuwait want stability, prosperity and peace in the region, Anadolu Agency reported  quoting Erdogan as saying. He also applauded Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah for being an advocate of peace in the region. "Relations between Kuwait and Turkey are strengthened by their common culture and by sharing the same religion," Erdogan said.
The Turkish president also called for boosting the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries from the current $569 million to $1 billion. 
Erdogan said his visit will be a good opportunity to discuss developments in Yemen, Palestine and Syria. "Building stability in Yemen is crucial,” he said. “We, as Turkey, support the Saudi-led coalition forces. The second phase, which is more politics-based, is very important to complete after the first phase of military operations," he added.
Erdogan also called for an end to Houthi attacks and said the militia should be part of the political process. Yemen has remained in a state of turmoil since 2011 when a popular uprising forced ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down a year later. Last month, Saudi Arabia and several other Arab states launched airstrikes against Houthi positions across Yemen.
Saudi Arabia says the strikes come in response to appeals by embattled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi for help against the Houthis, who overran Sana’a late last year and have since advanced on other provinces.

AB/IINA

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