"There is no reason to be afraid of our defense relations with Turkey… No one has the right to meddle in or comment on our relations. This is a sovereign issue and there is no need to make a fuss about it," bin Mubarak said, as quoted by the Anadolu Agency.
He stressed that the demands of four Arab states to close the Turkish military base were illogical, because Qatar's good relations with Turkey and cooperation with the other countries contributed to security and stability in the region.
"We don’t see any reason that prevents us from having defense cooperation with Turkey. On the contrary, circumstances in the region dictate us to cooperate intensively and effectively in this regard… The two countries [Turkey and Qatar] are looking to bolstering this cooperation," bin Mubarak said.
"It [blockade] has also derailed efforts to fight terrorism and extremism in the region and is dragging us into internal battles that only serve the enemies," bin Mubarak added.
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Later, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Mauritania also announced the severance of diplomatic relations. Jordan and Djibouti reduced the level of their diplomatic missions in Qatar.
