Respect sovereignty of Arab states, Gargash tells Turkey

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash on Saturday called on Turkey to respect the sovereignty of Arab states, saying support for regime change by violence would be unwise.

"It is no secret to the observer that the Arab-Turkish relations are not at their best, and that the return of balance to Ankara should take into account Arab sovereignty and deal with its neighbours wisely and rationally," Dr Gargash said on Twitter.

Ties between Arab states and Turkey have been strained over its support for Qatar, which the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt have boycotted since June last year over its support for terrorism and extremism.

Turkey, along with Qatar, is also a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have declared a terrorist group. Ankara's growing ties with Tehran are also of concern. Iran's forces or its proxies are increasingly involved in regional conflicts, including in Yemen where Saudi Arabia and the UAE are key players in a coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels to restore the internationally recognised government.

"Opposition to the main Arab states and support for movements that seek to change regimes by violence does not represent a rational approach to the neighbourhood, and Ankara is required to respect the sovereignty and respect of the Arab states," Dr Gargash said in a second tweet.

"The Arab world will not be led by its neighbours, and its current conditions will not remain permanent, and neighbouring countries should distinguish in dealing with the Arabs between facts and myths," he added.

Dr Gargash had in December called for the Arab world to come together under Saudi-Egyptian leadership to combat Iranian and Turkish influences in the region.

“The world is at an impasse, and the solution is to co-operate in the face of surrounding regional ambitions,” he tweeted.

“The sectarian and partisan approach is not an acceptable alternative. The Arab world will not be led by Tehran or Ankara."

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