Istanbul

Speaking after Eid prayers in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the demand “disrespectful” and said Turkey would not seek permission from others when making its defence cooperation agreements. “Demanding that Turkey pull its soldiers is unfortunately also disrespectful toward Turkey,” he said. 

He said Turkey would continue to support Qatar against the many sanctions it has faced since several Arab countries moved earlier this month to isolate the country for its alleged support of terrorism.

In a sign of support, the Turkish Parliament swiftly ratified a 2014 agreement with Qatar earlier this month,allowing the deployment of troops to its base there. The military said a contingent of 23 soldiers reached Doha on Thursday. 

Erdogan said he made a similar offer to Saudi Arabia to set up a base there in the past.

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