United Arab Emirates

The diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Gulf states escalated further on June 9 as Doha dismissed as "baseless" a terrorist blacklist drawn up by Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain - which accuse Qatar of supporting Islamist extremist groups - released the list of 59 people and entities linked to "terrorism."

After Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates (UAE) closed their airspace, only one narrow route remains for Qatari carriers to transport passengers - via Iran.

The move has caused serious problems for the country's airlines.

Despite warnings from all three opposition parties in the Turkish parliament, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has given priority to the ratification of two military agreements with Qatar, allowing to send Turkish troops to the Gulf country, mainly for training purposes, late on June 7.

Turkey should reconsider the not-so-easy and unfortunately disastrous path it followed in the Syria crisis before indulging into undertaking any sort of mediation in the crisis between Qatar and a Saudi-led block of nations accusing the gas-rich state of supporting and abetting terrorism.

Qatar seeks a way out to defeat an escalating pressure from Arab states, insisting that it sees no "military solution" to crisis.

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al- Thani told reporters on June 8 in Doha that diplomacy was still Doha's preferred option and there would never be a military solution to the problem.

Gulf Arab states piled pressure on Qatar June 8 as U.S. President Donald Trump, Kuwait's emir and Turkey worked to end a row and resolve what Qataris say amounts to a blockade of their country, an investment powerhouse and supplier of gas to world markets.

The foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow into Turkey plunged by 31 percent to $12 billion in 2016, as the failed coup attempt cast doubt on political stability in the country, the World Investment Report 2017 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has shown. 

The U.S. government might expand a ban on larger electronics like laptops in airplane cabins to flights originating from dozens of airports in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the head of Homeland Security said on June 7, though an expansion could be avoided if countries agree to improved security procedures.

S&P Global Ratings on June 7 cut Qatar's credit rating by one notch to AA- and put it on watch for further downgrades after Gulf Arab states severed ties.

"We believe this will exacerbate Qatar's external vulnerabilities and could put pressure on economic growth and fiscal metrics," the ratings agency said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blasted main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu over his criticism of Erdoğan's use of the "Rabia" four-finger hand gesture, which has become popular among Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers around the world.