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.

“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)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)