Qatari Emir, Turkish President, and Lebanese FM not attending Mecca summits

The Qatari Emir, Turkish President, and Lebanese foreign minister will not be attending the Mecca summits, according to media reports.

Turkish state news agency, Anadolu, on Wednesday announced that Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will not be attending the Mecca Summits.

Turkish President Recep Tayeb Erdoğan will “most probably” not be attending the summit, said Independent Arabic citing knowledgeable sources. Sources also told Independent Arabic that Lebanese Foreign Minister and President of Hezbollah allied Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, will also not be attending.

Qatari Foreign ministry spokeswoman Lolwah Al-Khater said in a tweet that Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani would attend the summits, writing that the region’s quickly escalating tensions made high-level participation a “national and humanitarian duty to achieve collective security.”

The emergency summits in Mecca, Islam's holiest city, on Thursday will discuss tensions with Iran following attacks on oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and drone strikes on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia, both of which Tehran denies involvement in.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had received an invitation from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud earlier this week to attend both the summit of Gulf Arab rulers and a wider meeting of Arab leaders.