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