REUTERS/Murad SezerPresident Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed calls for Turkey to close a military base in Qatar and said a wider list of demands issued by four Arab states was an unlawful intervention against the Gulf state's sovereignty. "We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands," Erdogan, speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul, said. "...This approach of 13 demands is against international law because you cannot attack or intervene in the sovereignty of a country." The Arab states have demanded Qatar cut any links to the Brotherhood and other groups they deem to be terrorist, ideological or sectarian. "The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulf's security," he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 25, 2017 21:11 UTC