New Turkish Military Base in Qatar Set to Be Inaugurated in Autumn

Turkey's President Erdogan reviews Turkish troops during his visit at the Qatari-Turkish Armed Forces Land Command Base in Doha, Qatar, on November 15, 2017. (Reuters)
Turkey's President Erdogan reviews Turkish troops during his visit at the Qatari-Turkish Armed Forces Land Command Base in Doha, Qatar, on November 15, 2017. (Reuters)
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New Turkish Military Base in Qatar Set to Be Inaugurated in Autumn

Turkey's President Erdogan reviews Turkish troops during his visit at the Qatari-Turkish Armed Forces Land Command Base in Doha, Qatar, on November 15, 2017. (Reuters)
Turkey's President Erdogan reviews Turkish troops during his visit at the Qatari-Turkish Armed Forces Land Command Base in Doha, Qatar, on November 15, 2017. (Reuters)

A new Turkish military base will be inaugurated in Qatar in autumn, revealed Hurriyet daily news Wednesday.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to attend the opening ceremony.

The writer of the report, Hande Firat traveled to Doha to visit the Tariq bin Ziyad base where Turkish soldiers have been deployed since October 2015.

The military base in Qatar is getting bigger. A new base has been built near the Tariq bin Ziyad military base, said Hurriyet.

The number of soldiers will increase, added Fande without disclosing their numbers out of consideration of “Turkey’s interests and security”.

“I can say that it will reach a drastic figure. Qatar also attaches a great deal of importance to this military base,” she revealed.

Turkish soldiers were deployed to the said military base in October 2015. Ankara and Doha formed a higher strategic committee that same year in order to bolster their relations.

Qatar had also resorted to Turkish security support after the 2017 economic and diplomatic boycott by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

Ankara has since boosted its presence at the Qatari base that can host some 3,000 soldiers.



Qatar to Reopen Its Embassy in Syria on Tuesday

 A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
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Qatar to Reopen Its Embassy in Syria on Tuesday

 A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)

Qatar will reopen its embassy in Syria on Tuesday after it was closed for more than 13 years, the Gulf country's foreign ministry said on Sunday, a week after Bashar al-Assad was removed from power.

Qatar's embassy in Damascus has been shut since July 2011 when it withdrew its ambassador from Damascus after a series of deadly crackdowns by Assad's regime on protesters - violence that led to the 13-year-long civil war.

Doha in recent years did not join efforts by several Arab countries to mend relations with Assad's government and re-establish diplomatic relations with Damascus.

A lightning advance by the opposition, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group led to the ouster of Assad on Dec. 8.

Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement its decision to reopen the embassy reflects its support for the Syrian people and their "struggle to attain their legitimate rights for a dignified life".