Turkish president pays first post-virus trip to Qatar

ANKARA- Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s president paid a daylong working visit to Qatar on July 2, his first overseas trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Among the delegation accompanying the president are Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalın, and National Intelligence Organization head Hakan Fidan.

Turkey and Qatar have enjoyed strong relations, especially in the wake of the 2017 Gulf crisis, in which Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade ties with their neighbor.

Turkey helped Qatar stand up to a blockade imposed by the other countries.