Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates

Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates

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Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates

The latest news after some of the Gulf states and Egypt cut ties with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade.

SUMMARY

The latest developments since several countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, cut ties with Qatar on June 5. (All times local Doha time).

8:15pm – Trump, Saudi King discuss Qatar dispute

  • The White House said that US President Donald Trump spoke by phone to Saudi King Salman on Friday.
  • The two leaders discussed efforts to resolve the month-long dispute between Qatar and the four Arab states.

8pm – Erdogan meets Qatar’s FM in Ankara

  • Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
  • According to Qatar’s state news agency, they discussed the Gulf crisis and bilateral relations among other topics.

3:35pm – Ankara, Doha say Turkish base will stay in Qatar

  • Turkey and Qatar on Friday reiterated Ankara would keep a new military base in the Gulf country, rejecting demands from Saudi Arabia and its allies for the facility to be closed.
  • “No country has the right to raise the issue of the Turkish base or the military cooperation between Qatar and Turkey as long as this cooperation respects international law,” Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told reporters in Ankara.
  • Speaking after meeting him, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the demands to close the base go against the two countries’ sovereignty.
  • “A third country has no right to say something to Qatar or Turkey. Everyone must respect this,” he added.
  • Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes to visit the Gulf soon to discuss efforts to resolve the crisis, Cavusoglu said.

12:47pm – Qatar FM says Tillerson visit not a failure

  • Qatar’s foreign minister says it would be unfair to describe US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s shuttle diplomacy to find a solution as a failure, insisting that the crisis “cannot be solved in a day.”
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also told reporters in Ankara on Friday that Qatar would continue to work with the United States and Kuwait to end the standoff with its four Arab neighbors.
  • The Qatari minister again denied accusations that his nation provided support to terror groups, accusing the four of failing to provide “single evidence” against his gas-rich nation.

8:57am – Qatar FM to visit Turkey

  • Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is expected to visit Turkey and meet with his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
  • Turkey has shown support for Qatar during the GCC crisis, stepping in to send troops and food supplies following the blockade.
  • Qatar’s foreign minister is expected to hold a joint press conference in the morning with Cavusoglu.

3am – UAE says ‘headed for a long estrangement’ with Qatar

  • There will be no quick end to the Gulf crisis said the United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs on his official Twitter account on Friday.
  • “We are headed for a long estrangement … we are very far from a political solution involving a change in Qatar’s course, and in light of that nothing will change and we have to look for a different format of relations,” Anwar Gargash said.

2:05am – Egyptian coach suspended as row over Qatar reaches football

  • Egyptian coach Hossam el-Badry was fined $10,000 on Thursday by the Confederation of African Football and suspended for one game for refusing to give interviews to Qatar-based beIN Sports network – owned by Al Jazeera – and attempting to boycott a news conference.
  • El-Badry – coach of Egyptian club Al Ahly – initially refused to attend a news conference following a match on June 20 because of the presence of beIN sports journalists. He did eventually attend, but either put his hand over the beIN microphone while speaking or pushed it away, CAF said.
  • Following a game in Egypt last weekend against Cameroon’s Coton Sport, el-Badry and Al Ahly players refused all interviews with beIN. The players also boycotted the news conference.
  • El-Badry’s one-game ban was put on hold, provided he is not found guilty of a similar offence during the remainder of the African Champions League.

8:30pm – Turkey will stand by Qatar: Economy minister

  • Turkey will continue to meet Qatar’s daily and long-term needs through exporting necessary supplies, Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said.

8:20pm – UAE minister says demand to shut Al Jazeera dropped

  • In an interview with The Times, Noura al-Kaabi, the UAE minister for the federal national council, said the Emirates sought “fundamental change and restructuring” of Al Jazeera rather than to shut it. She also said that the Saudi-led group was ready to negotiate with Qatar.

6:45pm – HRW: Isolation of Qatar causing rights abuses

  • Human Rights Watch said the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia and its allies is infringing on the right to free expression, separating families, and interrupting medical care among other rights violations.
  • “Gulf autocrats’ political disputes are violating the rights of peaceful Gulf residents who were living their lives and caring for their families,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

5:55pm – GCC crisis lingers as Tillerson heads home

  • US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has held a second round of talks with the leaders of Qatar on Thursday, but he left for the US without talking to the press.

3:20pm – Tillerson meets with Qatari emir and foreign minister

  • US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has met the Qatari emir and foreign minister for the second time during his four-day visit to the Gulf.
  • According to Qatar News Agency, the meetings discussed the efforts to solve the Gulf crisis.

8am – Tillerson to make unexpected return to Qatar

  • US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to make an unexpected return visit to Doha on Thursday, as he tries to help find a solution to the Gulf crisis.
  • The visit comes a day after he held talks with leaders from the four Arab states blockading Qatar.
  • In his first trip to Doha on Tuesday, Tillerson told reporters that the Qatari government had “very reasonable” views in the dispute.

5:50am – Bob Corker: Saudi terrorism support ‘dwarfs’ Qatar’s

  • “The amount of support for terrorism by Saudi Arabia dwarfs what Qatar’s doing,” said Bob Corker, the Chairman of the US Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday.
  • “I was really disappointed to see what Saudi Arabia did after having a great summit and bringing everybody together,” he said – referring to the Riyadh summit in May attended by US President Donald Trump. “I think this is quite possibly a rookie mistake by a crown prince who I think could be the future for Saudi Arabia,” added Corker.
  • Corker made the comments about Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a legislative hearing while addressing the former US ambassador to Israel.
  • Corker has the power to block arms sales to GCC countries – which he has previously threatened to do if the Gulf crisis is not resolved diplomatically.

3am – Rex Tillerson to travel to Qatar on Thursday

  • The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make an unexpected return visit to Doha on Thursday to meet with senior Qatari officials as he tries to find a solution to the Gulf crisis, according to the state department.
  • It comes after Tillerson held a day of talks with the four Arab states leading a blockade against Doha.

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