Turkey cemented its friendship with Qatar after the Gulf crisis began and emerged as an important ally and strategic partner, Doha-resident Tek Raj Pandey told Qatar Urdu Radio’s live show Haqeeqat yesterday.
“The impact of the blockade of Qatar was minimal because of support from countries such as Turkey that sent food cargos and other supplies. We immediately started seeing Turkish products in the market and realised that Turkey is our friend,” Pandey
explained.
He was of the view that the presence of Turkish troops in Qatar is important for the safety of the region. Both countries signed a defence agreement in 2014 after which Turkey set up a
military base in Qatar.
“Turkish army is present here for a while now as per a pact signed earlier. This has helped maintain a balance as well as ensure the safety of Qatar during the crisis,” Pandey asserted.
The future of the Gulf Co-operation Council looks bleak if the crisis
prolongs, he stated.
“There used to be free movement of people in the region and there were discussions going on about common currency and other initiatives to strengthen GCC economies. All of these plans came to a halt because of the illegal siege, which is unfortunate for everyone in the region.”
Haqeeqat, which aims to engage and interact with the large South Asian expatriate community in Qatar, is a joint venture of the Gulf Times and Qatar Media Corp Urdu Radio. The show is hosted by Saif-ur-Rehman. It is broadcast from Sunday to Thursday on FM107.
Log on to Qatar Urdu Radio on Facebook and ‘@QatarUrduRadio’ on Twitter for feedback and comments about the show.
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