Oil-rich Gulf monarchies have signed a deal with Turkey aimed at boosting ties between the pro-Western Arab bloc and Ankara.The agreement was inked overnight by Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jabr al-Thani, his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan and Gulf Cooperation Council secretary general Abdurrahman al-Attiyah.
The “memorandum of understanding” will pave the way for the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the GCC and Turkey that has been under negotiation since 2005.
“This memorandum is a step on the way to a strategic partnership with Turkey,” Sheikh Hamad said.
The GCC groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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