RIYADH: The escalating tensions between Turkey and Iraq, as well as the bloodshed in Syria, will top the agenda of a high profile joint meeting of the foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Turkey here on 13.10.2016.
The meeting will also focus on a range of key regional and international issues such as Yemen, Iran and international efforts to combat terrorism.
“The meeting will look into ways to further strengthen joint cooperation between the GCC as a bloc and Turkey,” said GCC secretary-general Abdullatif Al-Zayani on 12.10.2016. “The foreign ministers will discuss the latest political and security developments in the region, and the international efforts to combat terrorism,” he added.
The meeting is politically significant keeping in view the tensions between Ankara and Baghdad, which grew more intense on 11.10.2016 and 12.10.2016 after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a tiff with Iraqi Premier Haider Al-Abadi.
The GCC-Turkey ministerial meeting will be co-chaired by Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Speaking to Arab News 12.10.2016, Turkish Ambassador Yunus Demirer said that “the meeting has been convened within the framework of the strategic dialogue between the GCC and Turkey that was launched in 2008.” He pointed out that “two senior ministers from Turkey— Foreign Minister Cavusoglu and Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci— will attend the GCC ministerial meeting.”
About the meeting agenda, Demirer said that “all key regional and bilateral issues will be discussed.”
The diplomat also lambasted Iraq, saying that the removal of Turkey from the Iraqi agenda due to pressure from Iran will not create a new, prosperous and peaceful Iraq. Around 1,000 Turkish troops are stationed near Mosul in Iraq to protect interests of Turkey and its regional allies.
He said that the relations between Turkey and the GCC have been “progressively growing.” Ties between the GCC and Turkey are set to improve further as their interests fully align on key regional issues, as well as international subjects. Across regional conflicts, from Libya to Syria, Iraq and even Yemen, Turkey and Riyadh are more on the same page and have the same positions.
