Istanbul: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday 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 emirate’s sovereignty. “We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands,” Erdogan, speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul, said. 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. Erdogan said Turkey had also offered to establish a military base in Saudi Arabia, but never received a clear answer.

Source: Mint June 25, 2017 09:56 UTC