Summary
Turkey will establish a military base in Qatar as part of a defense agreement aimed at helping them confront "common enemies," Turkey's ambassador to Qatar said Wednesday.
Establishment of the base, part of an agreement signed in 2014 and ratified by Turkey's parliament in June, intensifies the partnership with Qatar at a time of rising instability and a perceived waning of U.S. interest in the region.
The envoy, Ahmet Demirok, told Reuters that 3,000 ground troops would be stationed at the base -- Turkey's first overseas military installation in the Middle East -- as well as air and naval units, military trainers and special operations forces.
Demirok said 100 Turkish troops were currently in Qatar training the Gulf state's military.
...