June 13, 2017

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday denounced the isolation of Qatar as “inhumane and against Islamic values”, and said the methods used against the Gulf state were unacceptable.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) as he arrives a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, June 13, 2017. Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS

Erdogan’s defence of Qatar, in a parliamentary speech to members of his ruling AK Party, comes after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar last week, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and Iran – allegations Qatar says are baseless.

Erdogan also said that Saudi Arabia should solve the crisis.