ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan will travel next week to Qatar, which Ankara has supported in its dispute with powerful Gulf Arab neighbors, presidential sources said on Wednesday.

They said Erdogan would visit Doha on Wednesday, following trips to Russia and Kuwait.

Turkey has backed Qatar since Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, cut economic and diplomatic ties in July, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, a charge it denies.

Turkey has increased trade with Qatar since the start of the embargo and the two countries have held joint military exercises in the Gulf state, where Ankara has a military base. It has said it will deploy 3,000 troops at the base.

Source    www.reuters.com