Qatar says demand of closing down Turkish military base is illegal

Demands by the Gulf states to cut defence ties with Turkey is an “obvious intervention of internal affairs,” said Qatar’s Ambassador to Ankara.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June, and imposed a sea and land blockade while accusing Doha of supporting terrorism. 

The four states presented a list of demands to Qatar to end the blockade, including the closures of the Al Jazeera television network and a Turkish military base in Doha. The Gulf countries threatened additional sanctions if the demands were not met.

Turkey has also rejected the demand to close its military base.

Doha denies the accusation of terrorism and contends the blockade is a violation of international law.

“This is against all international law and norms," said Salem bin Mubarak Al-Shafi in a written statement about the demand to close the Turkish base.       

“The closure of this base and demanding that our defence relations with Turkey be interrupted would be an obvious intervention of our internal affairs, infringement of our sovereignty rights, and the assumption of tutelage over us.” he said.

Al-Shafi said, "The Qatar State is an active member in all platforms for combating terrorism politically, financially, and in military. The same goes for the international coalition led by the US in the fight against Daesh”.

Talking about the blockade, he said, "We cannot enter into dialogue on our sovereignty, our independence, and anything that touches our free decision.

“The majority of the international community and world countries, including the major countries (USA, Germany, France, England, Russia etc.), have rejected the unlawful so-called practice of the UAE against Qatari state".

"UAE backs counter-revolutions"

The Qatari ambassador also accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supporting "counter-revolutions in the Arab world for restoring dictatorships."

In a statement issued on Saturday evening, Ambassador Salem Al-Shafi said, "The UAE and a number of allies have paid around $40 billion to consolidate the military coup in Egypt alone," in reference to the ouster of Mohamed Morsi, the country's first freely elected president, in 2013.

"We say that these countries have not learnt the lesson well," he added. 

"Blaming Qatar, using bright terms such as counterterrorism and attacking the moderates with a view to winning the West will not help protect them from the people."

"There are some Arab countries which are afraid of revolutions," he said. "Instead of reforming their regimes and fulfilling the people's aspirations, they heap the blame on Qatar and the so-called political Islam."