Qatar causing ‘military escalation’

Dubai : Bahrain’s foreign minister yesterday accused Qatar of creating a “military escalation” in the region, warning that the consequences will be dire. 

“The disagreement with Qatar is a political and security dispute and has never been military,” Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said on Twitter.

“But the deployment of foreign troops with their armoured vehicles is a military escalation for which Qatar will bear the consequences.”

Qatar was placed in a blockade on June 5 by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and other Arab states citing its support for extremist groups. 

The parties involved have also closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate’s only land border, a route for its food imports.

The countries have presented a 13-point ultimatum to Qatar but Doha has rejected their demands as unrealistic.

Turkey has given some support to Doha, with a bill fast-tracked through the Turkish parliament allowing Ankara to send as many as several thousand troops to a base in Qatar.

Ankara sent a contingent of 23 soldiers and five armoured vehicles to its Gulf ally on Thursday, adding to around 90 Turkish troops already stationed there along with 100 cargo planes loaded with supplies.

“Certain regional powers are mistaken if they think that their intervention will resolve the problem,” Shaikh Khalid said on Twitter.