Turkey Pledges Qatar With Military Support

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (3rd L) is welcomed by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (L) with an official ceremony in Doha, Qatar on February 15, 2017. ( Halil Sağırkaya – Anadolu Agency )

Doha, MINA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged his country’s continued military support for Qatar during a visit to Doha on Wednesday amid an ongoing Gulf political crisis.

Erdogan also signalled the “readiness” of Turkey’s private sector to help Qatar with its multi-billion projects for the 2022 World Cup, according to the Qatar News Agency (QNA).

He held talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani during the visit, The New Arab reported.

It also said the two countries signed a number of financial, tourism and research agreements.

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“Erdogan stressed the continued support of Turkey to the State of Qatar in various fields, especially in the industrial and military,” read the QNA statement.

Turkey has a military base in Qatar, which Ankara says has facilities for around 3,000 troops.

Erdogan’s backing came during his second official visit to Qatar, a close ally, since a bitter regional crisis began five months ago, threatening to destabilise the Gulf.

The increasingly entrenched dispute erupted on June 5 when Qatar was politically and economically boycotted by a quartet of neighbouring countries led by Saudi Arabia over its alleged support for terrorist groups and relations with Iran. (T/RI-1/RE1)

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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