Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Monday said that Ankara was not looking for financial assistance from ally Qatar during a top-level two-day visit to the Gulf nation, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported.
Çavuşoğlu made the remarks during a press conference in Doha following a meeting with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
”We have not come to Qatar to ask (the country) to send any specific money to Turkey. We are here to improve our ties in all areas,” Cumhuriyet cited Çavuşoğlu as telling reporters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Çavuşoğlu and other top-level officials arrived in Qatar in Monday as Turkey is grappling with a record-breaking currency crash and rising inflation after three interest rate cuts since September as part of Erdoğan’s unorthodox economic policy.
The already ailing lira has lost around 40 percent of its value against the dollar since the beginning of the year and inflation in the country is above 21 percent, according to government data.
Turkey has taken measures to limit the exchange-rate volatility, Çavuşoğlu said on Monday in response to a question from a reporter on whether Erdoğan would ask Qatar for economic support during the two-day talks.
Moreover, the ally countries will sign agreements in the health and educational sectors and boosting military cooperation, the Turkish official said.
Turkey and Qatar, which have signed tens of agreements, are set to sign dozens of deals during the visit, according to official statement from both countries.
Meanwhile, Erdoğan is unlikely to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Qatar, a meeting sought by the Turkish leader, Reuters said on Monday, citing sources.
Long-time regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Turkey have in recent months been working to thaw relations as Ankara seeks to improve ties and expand cooperation with Gulf nations.
Ahval