Turkish officials said they have “no intention of shutting down” their new military base in Qatar

Via The War Files –  In response to Saudi Arabias’s (and various other nations) ultimatum, Turkish officials stated that they have “no intention of shutting down” their brand new military base set up in Qatar. Ankara justification for the base is: it benefits the entire Gulf region. “If there is such a demand, it will mean interference in bilateral ties,” Turkish DM Fikri Isik said. Yesterday, five armored vehicles and two dozen troops were deployed to Qatar from Turkey as part of the military cooperation between the two countries. There are already 88 Turkish soldiers stationed in Qatar, and that number will eventually reach 1,000. “The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulf’s security. Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda.”