Turkey to Deploy Soldiers to Qatar
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Upon President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's statement "our cooperation with Qatar will continue", the Parliament has passed two bills to deploy troops to a military base in Qatar.
In compliance with the two agreements passed in the Parliament upon proposal of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), a Turkish-Qatar Division Tactical Military Quarter will be founded in Doha and Turkey will train gendarmerie units consisting of 4,000 soldiers in Qatar.
In addition, a special team consisting of 25-30 people will be sent to Qatar to give explosive ordnance disposal trainings.
The troops which will be deployed to Qatar is expected to include 500-600 staff members.
The agreement is planned to be in force for 10 years.
Areas of cooperation
According to the two agreements, cooperations will cover the following areas:
* Visits to troops, military quarters and institutions,
* Educations in schools, education centers and units (including language education)
* Occupational safety trainings, trainings to fight against smuggling and organized crimes, trainings to intervene social events, trainings for military law enforcers.
* Mutual assistance with regards to developlent of equipments and instruments used in the trainings.
* Exchange of information and experience in common matters, technological cooperation.
* Consultancy service regarding exchange of information and experience in educational, technical and logistic matters.
* Sending personnel to education institutions subordinated to the Presidency of General Staff for trainings and courses.
Objection from the opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) spokespersons have criticized that the negotiations on the two agreements were brought forward amid escalating tensions upon request of AKP.
Officials from the National Movement Party (MHP) have argued that Turkey needed to remain impartial with regards to the relations with the Arap world. (EKN/DG)