Erdogan responded to the call to close the military base in Qatar
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called “disrespectful” demand the Arab countries to Qatar to close down a Turkish military base on its territory. About it reports Reuters.
According to the Agency, Erdogan “supports Qatar’s reply” to the demands of the Arab countries to Doha put forward to the restoration of diplomatic relations. Earlier, the Ministry of foreign Affairs of Qatar stated that the requirements of the four countries of the Persian Gulf, including to break off diplomatic relations with Iran and close the military base of Turkey on its territory, “unrealistic.”
In addition, the head of the “Turkey proposed the deployment of a Turkish military base on the territory of Saudi Arabia” — one of the four countries put forward the ultimatum to Qatar, but Riyadh “did not respond”. “Precisely because they [Saudi Arabia] has still not returned to this issue [the establishment of a military base], to ask Turkey to withdraw its troops from Qatar is disrespectful to Ankara,” said Erdogan.
Turkish President also said that the extended list of requirements “not consistent with international law”.
Qatar won the demands of the Arab countries on June 22. According to the Qatari foreign Ministry, the foreign Ministry has studied the document and said he would respond “properly” to the message of the Arab countries.
Earlier, the Associated Press learned about the content of the message of the four Arab countries to Qatar. Among them was the demand of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain to break off diplomatic relations with Iran, to expel all members of the elite special forces of the Iranian army (revolutionary guards), close the military base of Turkey on its territory, and also to pay some compensation.
In addition, countries were required to sever all ties with the organization “Muslim brotherhood” (an organization banned in Russia), with “Hezbollah” and also prohibited in Russia organizations “al-Qaeda” and “Islamic state”. On fulfillment of all requirements of Qatar took 10 days.
Ten States — Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, followed by Mauritius, the Maldives and Comoros — broke off diplomatic relations with Qatar in mid-June. These countries accused Qatar of supporting extremists, including banned terrorist organization “Islamic state”.