11 June, 2017
The Turkish intervention is in marked contrast to the role of the USA president Donald Trump who on Friday threw his weight explicitly behind the actions of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, accusing Qatar of being "historically ... a funder of terrorism at a very high level" - a claim denied by the small Gulf state.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to keep supporting the outcast state as he recently approved an accord on Thursday for military training cooperation with Qatar, the news agency reported.
Qatar is home to the largest U.S. airbase in the Middle East, making it a key ally in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
Qatar denies the allegations and has sent its top diplomat on a tour of European capitals in a bid to drum up support.
Qatar's National Human Rights Committee has claimed that some 10,000 Gulf citizens had already been affected by the embargo.
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain may loosen curbs on humanitarian cases of Qatari families with marital ties to both countries. "The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level", Trump told reporters in the White House Rose Garden, as Tillerson looked on.
Gas has helped transform the tiny emirate into one of the richest countries in the world, fuelling its rise into a major regional player and helping fund huge infrastructure projects such as the 2022 football World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar.
The moves taken against Doha include banning Qatar Airways from airspace and closing Qatar's only land border with Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE made no mention of Mr Tillerson's call.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Sheikh al-Thani of Moscow's concern and called for talks.
"We are closely monitoring and assessing all developments, and are prepared to take the necessary decisions and measures, should the need arise, to ensure that we always honor our commitments and obligations to all our customers and partners locally, regionally, and internationally", the statement said. He also risks losing his job.
"There can be no justification for tearing families apart, suppressing peaceful expression, and leaving migrant workers abandoned and at risk", said Lynch.
