‘Support from allies cushions the impact of blockade’

Turkeycemented its friendship with Qatar after the Gulf crisis began andemerged as an important ally and strategic partner, Doha-resident TekRaj Pandey told Qatar Urdu Radio’s live show Haqeeqat yesterday.“Theimpact of the blockade of Qatar was minimal because of support fromcountries such as Turkey that sent food cargos and other supplies. Weimmediately started seeing Turkish products in the market and realisedthat Turkey is our friend,” Pandey explained.He was of the viewthat the presence of Turkish troops in Qatar is important for the safetyof the region. Both countries signed a defence agreement in 2014 afterwhich Turkey set up a military base in Qatar.“Turkish army ispresent here for a while now as per a pact signed earlier. This hashelped maintain a balance as well as ensure the safety of Qatar duringthe crisis,” Pandey asserted.The future of the Gulf Co-operation Council looks bleak if the crisis prolongs, he stated. “Thereused to be free movement of people in the region and there werediscussions going on about common currency and other initiatives tostrengthen GCC economies. All of these plans came to a halt because ofthe illegal siege, which is unfortunate for everyone in the region.”Haqeeqat,which aims to engage and interact with the large South Asian expatriatecommunity in Qatar, is a joint venture of the Gulf Times and QatarMedia Corp Urdu Radio. The show is hosted by Saif-ur-Rehman. It isbroadcast 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.