Qatar defies Arab demands via more naval drills with Turkey

CAIRO – 1 August 2017: Qatar and Turkey will hold naval and military maneuvers in the Arab Gulf waters in defiance of the Arab quartet, following Qatar’s rejection of the four Arab countries’ demands and principles announced in Cairo and Manama.

The Qatari Defense Ministry said the Turkish warship TCG Gokova is gearing up to take part in joint drills in the Arab Gulf waters, Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The most advanced Turkish military vessel will join Qatari-Turkish maneuvers, Iran’s Press TV said on Tuesday.

The naval exercises will be held in the framework of military cooperation between Ankara and Doha to combat terrorism, according to the Iran-based TV website.

According to the Press TV report, the vessel is docked at Hamad Port. Qatar says the proposed joint naval exercises with Turkey are a part of efforts to fight terrorism in the region.

A second batch of Turkish troops arrived in Qatar's Al-Udeid airbase on Thursday, joining a Turkish detachment already in place for training exercises launched earlier this week.

Turkey's parliament on June 7 fast-tracked legislation to allow troops to be deployed to a military base in Qatar that currently houses about 90 Turkish soldiers, Reuters said on Tuesday.

Turkey set up the base, its first such installation in the Middle East, as part of an agreement signed in 2014.

The Turkish forces conducted their first training at Tariq bin Ziyad military base on Sunday, Doha-based Al-Jazeera said, citing the ministry, saying the drills had been long planned.

Qatar’s relations with several Arab and Gulf States have been strained since May 24, when the Qatari state-run news agency reported Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s statements regarding Gulf foreign policy with Iran, describing it as “unwise.”