Qatar says more Turkish troops have arrived at military base

People in Qatar hang posters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to show gratitude to Turkey for their support during the blockade on Qatar on 12 June, 2017 [Mohamed Farag/Anadolu Agency]

Qatar said on Tuesday more Turkish troops had arrived at a military base in Doha after Ankara fast-tracked legislation last month for more soldiers to be deployed there.

Training has been ongoing since 19 June. The base in Qatar houses Turkish soldiers under an agreement signed in 2014.

Read:Erdogan sets a condition for Turkish troops to leave Qatar

Ankara has backed Qatar after Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, cut all economic and diplomatic ties this month, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, a charge it denies.

#QatarGate

“This defence cooperation between Doha and Ankara is part of their common defence 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.

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