GCC, Turkey condemn terror attack on UAE ship

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GCC, Turkey condemn terror attack on UAE ship

Riyadh - The attack is a terrorist attack that contravenes international navigation laws and undermines the regional and international efforts to deliver relief aid to Yemen.

By Wam

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Published: Fri 14 Oct 2016, 11:32 PM

Last updated: Sat 15 Oct 2016, 7:05 PM

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) members on Thursday condemned as a terrorist act the recent attack on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) civilian vessel Swift near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait off the Yemeni coast while it was delivering humanitarian aid and evacuating wounded Yemenis for treatment in the UAE.
The attack is a terrorist attack that contravenes international navigation laws and undermines the regional and international efforts to deliver relief aid to Yemen, the ministers said in the final communique of the fifth Joint Ministerial Meeting of the GCC-Turkey High Level Strategic Dialogue, chaired by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, took part in the meeting chaired by the Saudi foreign minister in the presence of GCC Secretary-General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The communique also called upon Iran not to interfere in the domestic affairs of the countries in the region and also urged it to respond positively to efforts exerted by the UAE to settle the issue of the three UAE islands through peaceful means, including direct negotiations or the International Court of Justice.
The foreign ministers of the GCC reiterated their solidarity with Turkey in confronting the 15th July failed coup attempt led by the FETO group, of Fethullah Gulen, and described the group as a "terrorist organisation" while stressing their support for the Turkish government's recent moves against the group.
They supported the measures taken by Turkey to preserve its security and stability under the leadership of President Recep Erdogan, they said.
The GCC-Turkish communique also included calls to maintain the fight against the terrorist group ISIL in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere -- within the global US-led coalition.
The ministers also condemned attacks on Turkey perpetrated by the PKK and other terrorist groups and affirmed Turkey's right to defend itself.
The GCC-Turkish communique condemned the military escalation by the Syrian regime and its allies in Aleppo and urged the UN Security Council to immediately intervene to halt attacks on Syrian civilians.
The ministers stressed their countries' commitment to the territorial integrity and stability of Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria and reiterated their stance against terrorism.
They also called for an urgent agreement on a lasting, fair and integrated peace agreement that would lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative


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