Erdogan slams ‘disrespectful’ Gulf states over calls to close Turkish base in Qatar

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday welcomed ­Qatar’s dismissal of a sweeping list of demands from Saudi Arabia and its allies in an escalating crisis and said the ultimatum was “against international law”.

“We welcome [Qatar’s position] because we consider the ­13-point list against international law,” Erdogan was quoted as ­saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Erdogan, who spoke to reporters after morning prayers at an Istanbul mosque, said the demands on its embattled regional ally Qatar had gone “too far”.

“What we are talking about here is an attack on the sovereign rights of a state,” he said.

“There cannot be such an attack on countries’ sovereignty rights in international law.”

Qatar on Saturday denounced the ultimatum as unreasonable and an impingement on the emirate’s sovereignty.