*Turkish president to hold talks with Emir in Doha on Monday
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday began a key trip to the Gulf aimed at defusing the Gulf crisis , saying no one had an interest in prolonging the dispute.
Erdogan had talks in Jeddah with King Salman who hailed the Turkish leader's "efforts in the fight against terrorism and its financing," Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
He also met Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman before leaving for Kuwait for the second leg of his tour.
Erdogan was received by Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has been mediating to resolve the crisis.
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of backing extremism and fostering ties with Iran.
Doha denies the claim and has been strongly backed by Ankara throughout the standoff.
The Turkish president will visit Qatar today for his first face-to-face talks with His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani since the crisis began.
"The Emir will discuss with his brother the President of Turkey bilateral relations between the two countries and means of enhancing and advancing them, in addition to the developments in the Gulf crisis," the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) said.
"No one has any interest in prolonging this crisis any more," Erdogan said before leaving Istanbul.
He accused "enemies" of seeking to "fire up tensions between brothers" in the region.
Erdogan praised Qatar's behaviour in the crisis, saying Doha had sought to find a solution through dialogue. "I hope our visit will be beneficial for the region," he said.
The crisis has put Turkey in a delicate position, and Erdogan has repeatedly said he wants to see an end to the dispute as soon as possible.
"From the first moments of the Qatar crisis, we have been on the side of peace, stability, solidarity and dialogue," said Erdogan.
"As the elder statesman in the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia has a big role to play in solving the crisis," said Erdogan.
He said he supported the mediation efforts of Kuwait's emir, a possible indication Ankara sees Kuwait as the key to solving the crisis.
Qatar's Emir said Friday he was ready for talks to resolve the row as long as the country's sovereignty is respected.
Erdogan is to get a warm welcome in Doha where Turkey has been loudly applauded for sending in food, including fruit, dairy and poultry products by ship and by plane to help Doha beat the blockade.
According to the economy ministry, Ankara has sent around 200 cargo planes filled with aid since the crisis began.
Under a 2014 agreement, Ankara maintains a military base in Qatar which is set to eventually host as many as 1,000 troops.
Mogherini calls for direct talks
European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini yesterday called for swift direct talks to resolve the Gulf crisis between Qatar and its neighbours.
Mogherini's call came after she met Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah and other officials and expressed EU support for Kuwait's "relentless mediation efforts" in the dispute.
Mogherini in a statement called on "all the parties to enter into negotiations to agree clear principles and a roadmap for a swift resolution of the crisis".
She said the EU was ready to support the process of negotiations and assist in the implementation of a plan for the resolution of the crisis, in particular in the area of counter-terrorism.
Erdogan had talks in Jeddah with King Salman who hailed the Turkish leader's "efforts in the fight against terrorism and its financing," Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
He also met Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman before leaving for Kuwait for the second leg of his tour.
Erdogan was received by Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has been mediating to resolve the crisis.
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of backing extremism and fostering ties with Iran.
Doha denies the claim and has been strongly backed by Ankara throughout the standoff.
The Turkish president will visit Qatar today for his first face-to-face talks with His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani since the crisis began.
"The Emir will discuss with his brother the President of Turkey bilateral relations between the two countries and means of enhancing and advancing them, in addition to the developments in the Gulf crisis," the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) said.
"No one has any interest in prolonging this crisis any more," Erdogan said before leaving Istanbul.
He accused "enemies" of seeking to "fire up tensions between brothers" in the region.
Erdogan praised Qatar's behaviour in the crisis, saying Doha had sought to find a solution through dialogue. "I hope our visit will be beneficial for the region," he said.
The crisis has put Turkey in a delicate position, and Erdogan has repeatedly said he wants to see an end to the dispute as soon as possible.
"From the first moments of the Qatar crisis, we have been on the side of peace, stability, solidarity and dialogue," said Erdogan.
"As the elder statesman in the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia has a big role to play in solving the crisis," said Erdogan.
He said he supported the mediation efforts of Kuwait's emir, a possible indication Ankara sees Kuwait as the key to solving the crisis.
Qatar's Emir said Friday he was ready for talks to resolve the row as long as the country's sovereignty is respected.
Erdogan is to get a warm welcome in Doha where Turkey has been loudly applauded for sending in food, including fruit, dairy and poultry products by ship and by plane to help Doha beat the blockade.
According to the economy ministry, Ankara has sent around 200 cargo planes filled with aid since the crisis began.
Under a 2014 agreement, Ankara maintains a military base in Qatar which is set to eventually host as many as 1,000 troops.
Mogherini calls for direct talks
European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini yesterday called for swift direct talks to resolve the Gulf crisis between Qatar and its neighbours.
Mogherini's call came after she met Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah and other officials and expressed EU support for Kuwait's "relentless mediation efforts" in the dispute.
Mogherini in a statement called on "all the parties to enter into negotiations to agree clear principles and a roadmap for a swift resolution of the crisis".
She said the EU was ready to support the process of negotiations and assist in the implementation of a plan for the resolution of the crisis, in particular in the area of counter-terrorism.
