TURKEY: Govt plans to deploy air and naval forces to Qatar

Turkey plans to deploy air and naval forces to Qatar in addition to ground troops that are already stationed in the country, a Turkish diplomat has said.  Fikret Ozer, Turkish ambassador to Qatar, however, declined to state a timeline for the move.  “According to the agreement signed between Qatar and Turkey in 2014, all ground, […]

Turkey plans to deploy air and naval forces to Qatar in addition to ground troops that are already stationed in the country, a Turkish diplomat has said. 

Fikret Ozer, Turkish ambassador to Qatar, however, declined to state a timeline for the move. 

“According to the agreement signed between Qatar and Turkey in 2014, all ground, air, and naval forces will be deployed to Qatar,” he told reporters in Doha on Wednesday. 

Ankara and Doha would determine the “timeline of the construction of the necessary infrastructure and when these forces will be deployed through talks”, he said. 

The planned deployment is part of an agreement that also saw Turkey set up a military camp in Qatar.

The first batch of Turkish troops arrived at the Tariq Bin Ziyad military base in 2015. 

The camp, located south of Doha, is Turkey’s first such installation in the Middle East and can accommodate up to 5,000 soldiers. 

Ozer also declined to disclose the number of Turkish forces currently stationed in Qatar.