RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and interior minister, has asserted that the Kingdom is very much capable of protecting itself.

“We are being targeted and we cannot ask them not to target us. However, what is important is to fortify ourselves as much as possible,” the crown prince was quoted as saying on Friday by Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News.

The US Congress overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to allow families of the 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia.

The crown prince’s remark in Ankara ahead of his important talks with Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan on Friday assumes significance as the Turkish president has been vocal on the US Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), and has vehemently opposed the bill.

Erdogan had called on President Barack Obama to veto the bill, which he did. However, Congress overrode the veto.

Erdogan had said: “Turkey will never approve such an act by the US. The entire country cannot be held responsible just because a few Saudi nationals allegedly committed a crime. Let me give you another example. The Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization (FETO) leader lives in the US and all can see the terrorism waged by this group. Should we punish the US for that? Can we pass a law in parliament to demand compensation from the US?”

Commenting on the crown prince's high-profile trip and its significance, Majed Abdullah Al-Hedayan, a senior columnist and legal consultant, said: “The crown prince’s two-day visit to Turkey is very significant as Turkey is a strong ally and further strengthening the alliance is in the best interest of the Middle East.”

Referring to the crown prince's statement in Ankara, he strongly supported the remark saying, “We are very much capable of protecting ourselves.”

Al-Hedayan endorsed the view on enhancing bilateral cooperation with Turkey to protect regional interests saying that Turkey is a brotherly country.

“We always seriously consider that there should be strong and joint work between us because we actually need each other,” the crown prince has said.

Commenting on JASTA, Al-Hedayan said: “There is no need to be afraid at all. There is no evidence. An inquiry by the 9/11 Commission found no evidence of Saudi links to the incident.”

“In fact, it is a cause for worry for them only as it is a dangerous law driven by emotion rather than national interest that will come back to bite their own country as individuals and groups from countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq can use this to sue the US for attacks on their country.”

He added that the law will be treated as a precedent by other nations to eliminate sovereign immunity protections that today favor the US and its forward-deployed troops.

He also pointed out that JASTA is worrying from a trade and investment point of view as investors are concerned of this dangerous law driven by emotion.

Talal Al-Otaibi, a political commentator and media consultant, welcomed the remark by the crown prince asserting that the Kingdom is indeed very much able to protect itself, even if somebody is targeting us.

“We are not going to succumb to any such design; those trying to target us should be clear that there is no evidence against the Kingdom,” he added.

Commenting on the crown prince's Turkish visit, he said that the Kingdom and Turkey are two efficient countries to deal with all regional issues.

“Significantly, the two allies have similar views when dealing with the region’s problems, and that assumes greater significance,” he reasoned.

He added that the visit to Ankara is a defining moment in the bilateral ties between the two friendly countries.

“It is mutually beneficial for the Kingdom and Turkey, and will further enhance bilateral cooperation in all spheres including cultural, trade and strategic,” he said.