Turkey deploys troops to its military base in Qatar
Turkey has announced the deployment of soldiers to its first overseas military base, which has been set up in Qatar.
Speaking to students at the Qatar University in Doha on Thursday, Turkish Prime Minster Ahmet Davutoglu said the number of the soldiers deployed will be specified later.
He did not give details about the size or the precise location of the base, either.
Davutoglu claimed that the base was not intended for any specific operation but was a “presence for stability.”
He said the security of Turkey and Qatar are intertwined, and that Turkey faces the same “threats” as Qatar.
“I can tell you now that the security and stability of Qatar is like the security and stability of Turkey. We want a stable and secure [Persian] Gulf. Turkey and Qatar, we have the same destiny,” he added. “We face the same threats.”
The base has been set up in Qatar as part of a security agreement signed in 2014.
Turkish troops now could take part in military operations in the Red Sea, Northern Africa, and the Persian Gulf.
Back in December 2015, Turkey’s ambassador to Qatar Ahmet Demirok said that around 3,000 ground troops would be stationed at the base. He said air and naval units, military trainers and special operations forces would also be deployed.
Davutoglu further said the military establishment would pave the way for Qatar to set up its own military base on Turkish soil.
Qatar hosts the largest US air base in the Middle East, Al Udeid, where around 10,000 military personnel are stationed.
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