EVENTUALITY UNLESS A DIALOGUE HAPPENS AND RIGHT NOW, THERE’S
NO SIGN OF DIALOGUE.
>>> THE CONSULATE BETWEEN THE
U.S. AND TURKEY TOP OF MIND IN
QATAR.
QATAR. ALI VELSHI IS THERE AND SAT DOWN
WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER TO
TALK ABOUT HOW THIS CONFLICT IS
IMPACTING THE REST OF THE MIDDLE
EAST.
EAST. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
TENSION BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND IRAN.
YOUR DEPENDENCY ON IRAQ, YOUR
ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN
AND LOGISTICS RELATIONSHIP WITH
IRAN HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT
SINCE THE BLOCKADE.
IF THE HOSTILITIES WITH IRAN
INCREASE BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND IRAN, THIS IS GOING
TO CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR
YOU.
YOU. TELL ME HOW YOU SEE THIS?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THAT
THE CONFLICT ITSELF AND THE
NATURE OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN
IRAN AND THE U.S. IS PROBLEMATIC
FOR EVERYONE.
FOR EVERYONE. NOT AFFECTING ONLY QATAR.
IT’S GOING TO AFFECT THE ENTIRE
REGION.
REGION. I THINK THAT WHAT WE SEE RIGHT
NOW IS A GROWING TENSION NOT
ONLY BETWEEN THE U.S. AND IRAN
BUT GROWING AMONG THE ENTIRE
REGION.
REGION. OUR ROLE, AND QATAR RSHWISHES TO
WORK WITH BOTH OF THEM.
WE HAVE VERY STRONG ALLIANCE
WITH THE UNITED STATES.
OUR RELATIONSHIP IS SOMETHING
THAT’S OUT OF QUESTION.
WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT
STRONG RELATIONSHIP AND STRONG
TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES.
BUT ALSO IRAN IS OUR NEIGHBOR.
SO A CONFLICT BETWEEN THOSE TWO
COUNTRIES, IF THEY’RE NOT GOING
TO AFFECT US LOGISTICALLY, IT’S
GOING TO AFFECT US, YOU KNOW, IN
TERMS OF RELATIONSHIP.
>> LET ME ASK YOU TWO SPECIFIC
THINGS THAT HAPPEN IF THE
IRAN/U.S. SITUATION ESCALATES.
ONE IS TRAFFIC THROUGH THE GULF
AND THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ CAN BE
AFFECTED.
AFFECTED. AND YOU HAVE MORE THAN 10,000
U.S. TROOPS HERE ON A BASE
THAT’S EXPANDING MOST LIKELY.
YOU COULD BE THE FRONT OF A WAR
BETWEEN THESE TWO COUNTRIES.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
WHAT CONVERSATIONS ARE YOU
HAVING WITH YOUR IRANIAN
COUNTERPARTS AND WITH YOUR
AMERICAN COUNTERPARTS TO
ACTIVELY DE-ESCALATE THIS?
>> WHEN WE -- AS I TOLD YOU, WE
HAD CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION WITH
MINISTERS THE LAST -- IN MAY
WHEN THE EXPIRY OF THE WAIVER
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE
IRANIANS.
IRANIANS. WE WANT TO CALM THEM DOWN.
WE’VE BEEN TALKING TO THE
AMERICANS, TRYING TO FIND A WAY
FORWARD.
FORWARD. THERE IS NO OUTCOME YET BUT WE
CONTINUE TALKING TO THEM.
AND ON A LOT OF SPECIFIC DETAILS
AND SPECIFIC INITIATIVES THAT
BOTH COUNTRIES CAN TAKE IN ORDER
TO HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH.
>> YOU ALSO ENJOY A VERY STRONG
RELATIONSHIP WITH TURKEY.
YOU HOST A BASE FOR TURKEY,
SOMETHING YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE
ASKED YOU DISCONTINUE.
WITH TENSIONS ESCALATING BETWEEN
TURKEY AND THE UNITED STATES AND
TALK OF SANCTIONS ON TURKEY,
WHAT WORK ARE YOU DOING WITH
BOTH OF THOSE ALLIES TO
DE-ESCALATE THAT?
DE-ESCALATE THAT? >> FIRST OF ALL, WE DON’T WANT
TO SEE A TENSION BETWEEN TURKEY
AND ANY OTHER NATION.
NOT ONLY WITH THE UNITED STATES.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS
REALLY TO LISTEN TO THE TURKS
AND LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS,
TRYING TO CONVEY THE RIGHT
MESSAGE FOR OUR OTHER ALLIES.
I’M PLANNING TO GO TO TURKEY IN
THE NEXT FEW DAYS TO SEE HOW TO
ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, HOW WE CAN
FIND THE COMMON GROUND THAT WE
CAN SEE A WAY FORWARD AND
DE-ESCALATION.
DE-ESCALATION. WE KNOW THAT TURKEY HAS CARRIED
THIS OPERATION OUT OF A
LEGITIMATE CONCERN FOR THE
SECURITY OF THEIR BORDER.
AND WE DIDN’T SEE ANY CONDUCT BY
TURKEY BEFORE THAT THEY HAVE
DONE JUST FOR --
>> THEY DO IT INTENTIONALLY TO
CHANGE THE DEMOGRAPHIC, AND IT
IS LAST SEEN WHAT THEY HAVE DONE
ON --
ON -- THEY ARE LIVING THERE
PEACEFULLY, AND THEY ARE IN A
MUCH BETTER SITUATION THAN THE
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LIBERATED
BY THE SDF, BY THE FORCES THAT