Saudi FM praises Turkey as 'friend and ally'

By Ahmed al-Masri

DOHA, Qatar

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Friday praised his country’s close relations with Turkey, which he described as a "friend and ally".

Al-Jubeir made the assertion in an address delivered at Brussels’ Egmont Institute (The Royal Institute for International Relations) shortly after he had taken part in a summit of West African Sahel states (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad).

"Turkey is a large and important country in the region and a member of the G-20 [group of advanced nations],” al-Jubeir said.

“It has deep interests and a long history in the region,” he added.

"Turkey is a friend and ally in a range of fields,” the Saudi foreign minister said. “We [i.e., Saudi Arabia] frequently consult with Turkey on a range of issues.”

In regards to the seven-year conflict in Syria, al-Jubeir hailed Turkey’s longstanding support -- along with the U.S., France, Italy, Qatar and Bahrain -- for Syria’s anti-regime opposition.

“We [i.e., Ankara and Riyadh] are still working together to support the opposition in Syria," he confirmed.