Turkey throws weight behind Qatar in Gulf showdown

Turkey threw its weight behind its ally Qatar on Wednesday, fast-tracking plans to deploy extra Turkish troops to the emirate as Arab rivals cut transport links and supply lines.

The move potentially puts Ankara on a collision course with Riyadh as tensions flare over Saudi-led attempts to isolate Qatar in protest at its alleged support for extremist groups in the Middle East and its softer approach towards Iran.

READ ALSO:  Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and UAE cut diplomatic ties with Qatar

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish president, said it was wrong to impose sanctions on Doha. “It will not contribute to solving any problem to try and isolate in this way Qatar, which we know for sure has fought very effectively against terrorist groups,” he said.

Turkey’s parliament adopted a law on Wednesday night to allow Turkish troops to be stationed on Qatari soil. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE ....

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and UAE cut diplomatic ties with Qatar

DUBAI: Four Arab nations cut diplomatic ties with Qatar early Monday morning, further deepening a rift between Gulf Arab nations+ over that country's support for Islamist groups.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all announced they would withdraw their diplomatic staff from Qatar+ , a gas-rich nation that will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Saudi Arabia said Qatari troops would be pulled from its ongoing war in Yemen.

READ ALSO: 70-year-old woman gives birth to first baby in India

All the nations also said they planned to cut air and sea traffic to the peninsular country. It wasn't immediately clear how that would affect Qatar Airways, one of the region's major long-haul carriers.

Qatari officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE