*** ----> Parliamentary committee calls to halt economic, tourist activities with Turkey | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Parliamentary committee calls to halt economic, tourist activities with Turkey

TDT | Manama

A call has gone out to take strict measures and halt economic activities with Turkey and ban visits of Bahraini and GCC tourists to Turkish cities. This was made by the Council of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee.

It stressed this yesterday in view of Turkey’s continued interference in Arab internal affairs and the issuance of hostile statements, and based on the principle of Arab national solidarity. The committee said that it is time to take a unified GCC and Arab stance against the Turkish blatant interference in Arab countries, emphasising that it is clear that Ankara’s policy in the region is based on an expansionist agenda, and that it violates all norms of international relations and law.

The committee affirmed Bahrain’s solidarity with the UAE in the face of the unprecedented Turkish campaign targetting its sovereignty and reputation. “Any targetting of the UAE is a targetting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and all Arab countries,” the committee said.

The committee renewed its condemnation and denunciation of the hostile statements made by Turkey’s defence minister against the UAE, stressing its categorical rejection of the statement issued by the Turkish defence ministry regarding that of Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The panel said that the Turkish defence ministry’s statement was far from reality, considering it as a clear attempt to undermine and ignore the principles of international law, conventions and norms, as well as to strain relations in the region.

The committee stressed that GCC regional security is an integral part of Arab national security, in accordance with the Arab League Charter, and serious moves must be taken to confront blatant Turkish ambitions.