More troops arrive at Turkish military base in Qatar as US engages countries boycotting Qatar in Saudi Arabia
13 July 2017Turkish And German
Press Agencies
Qatar said on Tuesday more Turkish troops had arrived at a Turkish military
base in Doha after Ankara fast-tracked legislation last month for more
soldiers to be deployed there.
Training has been ongoing since June 19. The base in Qatar houses Turkish
soldiers under an agreement signed in 2014.
With the support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain, the
Saudis announced on June 5 they were suspending all ties with Qatar over
accusations of terrorism. They closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and
blocked the emirate's only land border, a vital route for its food imports.
They also ordered all Qataris to leave and their own nationals to return home.
Last week, Riyadh laid down a list of 13 demands for Qatar, including the
closure of Al-Jazeera television, a downgrade of diplomatic ties with Iran and
the shutdown of a Turkish military base in the emirate. The UAE warned that
Qatar should take the demands seriously or face a "divorce" from its Gulf
neighbors.
Qatar denied the accusations, calling the move "unjustified." The escalation
came two weeks after the website of Qatar's official news agency was allegedly
hacked by unknown individuals who reportedly published statements attributed
to the country's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Turkey has been trying to do its best to mediate since the crisis broke out.
Ankara displayed its support to Qatar as Parliament approved two deals to
deploy troops to an air base in Qatar. Ankara's move to deploy troops to the
small country is meant to increase stability and help Turkish peacemaking
efforts function better. The deal to deploy troops to Qatari soil, which is
expected to improve the country's army and boost military cooperation, was
signed in April 2016 in the Gulf country's capital Doha. The deal was approved
by Parliament after a period of one year.
"This defense cooperation between Doha and Ankara is part of their common
defense vision to support anti-terrorism efforts and maintain security and
stability in the region," a statement by Qatar's Armed Forces said.
The statement did not give the number of Turkish troops at the base or how
many had just joined to bolster the deployment.
Tillerson to meet foreign ministers of countries boycotting Qatar in Saudi
Arabia
Foreign ministers of the four Arab countries boycotting Qatar will meet with
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Jeddah, in the first major push by the
United States towards finding a solution for the Gulf crisis.
Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt
will meet with Tillerson on Wednesday in the Saudi Arabian coastal city.
The meeting will "explore their feelings and explore options of how we might
move this forward. I would not comment on any expectations for a timetable now
because these are discussions that are still ongoing," Tillerson told
reporters in Doha.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said the Jeddah meeting "will assert the position of
the four countries and the measures they took against Qatar."
"The meeting is in line with the four countries' keen interest in enhancing
coordination and underscoring solidarity on ways to deal with Qatar in the
future," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.
Tillerson landed in the Qatari capital Doha earlier Tuesday, as part of a
regional tour to discuss the Gulf dispute, which began in June when the four
Arab countries cut diplomatic ties and transportation links with Qatar.
He began the tour on Monday in Kuwait, which has been mediating in the crisis.
He said he held "a good trilateral exchange around the conflict" with Qatari
and Kuwaiti diplomats.
During his visit, the United States and Qatar signed an agreement Tuesday
aimed at boosting efforts to combat terrorism.
"The US and Qatar will do more to track down funding sources, will do more to
collaborate and share information and do more to keep the region and our
homeland safe," Tillerson said.
Tillerson denied the agreement is connected to the current diplomatic crisis
in the Gulf, saying it comes after more than a year of discussions.
Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani echoed Tillerson,
saying: "It has nothing related directly or indirectly to the recent crisis
and the blockade imposed against Qatar."
The US official's talks come after similar efforts by British Foreign
Secretary Boris Johnson and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel last week.
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut
diplomatic ties and transportation links with Qatar. The Arab quartet
threatened to impose further sanctions on Qatar after a list of 13 demands was
rejected by Doha.
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