ESCALATING

Jordan Downgrades Ties With Qatar

Shuts down Al Jazeera office; Turkey’s Erdogan comes to Doha’s defense.

Jordan is scaling back its diplomatic ties with Qatar in a bid to “end the crises” in the region. A spokesman for the kingdom said late Tuesday that it would follow the example of other Gulf Arab states in order to preserve regional stability. As part of the plan, the local office of Al Jazeera TV will be closed, as Jordanian authorities revoked the Doha-based network’s broadcasting license. It was not immediately clear what other measures Jordan would take, but the announcement comes as Qatar faces a mounting backlash in the region over disputed claims that its leaders back terrorism, with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Yemen, Mauritania, and Bahrain all cutting ties. Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for the Doha government in the face of the brewing conflict, saying Tuesday that Qatar is conducting an “effective fight” against terrorism and urging all Gulf states to resolve the spat through dialogue.