Qatar Crisis: Saudi Conditions, Erdogan's Criticism of Doha's Isolation

As Kuwait attempts to mediate between Riyadh and Doha, Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, stated on Tuesday that Qatar must end its support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, Turkish President Erdogan argues that isolating Qatar does not solve any issues. According to Reuters, the Saudi foreign minister told reporters in Paris: 'We have tolerated enough and decided to act. No one wants to harm Qatar. It is Qatar that must decide whether to move in this direction or another.' On Monday, Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, severed political and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremists. Qatar is accused of backing Islamist groups in the region and Iran. Al-Jubeir emphasized that actions supporting Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood weaken the Palestinian Authority and the Egyptian government. He stressed that Qatar must end actions that destabilize the region. Meanwhile, Erdogan stated that measures such as sanctions to isolate Qatar do not resolve any issues. He added that Ankara will use all its capabilities to resolve this crisis. Erdogan, speaking during an iftar ceremony, said: 'Isolating Qatar does not solve any issues. We are trying and will use all our strength to end this crisis.' He also emphasized that the region needs solidarity and cooperation. Reports indicate that French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, by phone. According to the French news agency, Macron supported any initiative to resolve the Qatar crisis during this conversation. In this phone call, the French president emphasized the need to maintain stability in the Gulf region. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel criticized the U.S. president's stance on the Qatar crisis. The U.S. president implicitly supported the severing of relations by some Arab countries with Qatar, stating that Middle Eastern leaders complained about Qatar's behavior at a recent summit in Saudi Arabia and called for an end to support for the extremist ideology that encourages terrorism. The German foreign minister stated that escalating tensions in the Middle East benefit no country. Reports also indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with the Emir of Qatar on Tuesday. Jordan also announced on Tuesday that following the severing of relations by Saudi Arabia and other countries with Qatar, it would reduce its level of relations with Doha. According to the Associated Press, Jordan also closed the office of Al Jazeera, which is affiliated with the Qatari government, in the country. A government spokesperson in Jordan stated that this action was taken in solidarity with other Arab countries. The recent tensions between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain began after a report of remarks attributed to the Emir of Qatar in the country's state news agency. In that report attributed to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, it was stated that Iran is 'an Islamic power' and that there is 'no rationality' in hostility towards it. Hours later, the Qatari government stated that this news was 'fake' and that its official news agency had 'been targeted by hackers.' Qatar has sought assistance from experts from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, FBI, to clarify this issue. Previously, in March 2014, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, three members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, recalled their ambassadors from Qatar due to disagreements over Doha's support for Islamists.