Cairo: Several members of the Egyptian parliament have asked the government to explain its plan to counter worrisome military links between Qatar on the one hand and Turkey and Iran on the other amid an escalating regional dispute.
On June 5, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain cut diplomatic relations and suspended transportation links with Qatar over its support for terrorism and dubious ties with Iran.
Egyptian MP Mustafa Bakri has requested all government ministers concerned with national security to come to the parliament to look into the dangers posed by the Turkish and military presence in Qatar and how to tackle them.
“It is necessary to discuss and learn about the moves that the Egyptian diplomacy will take and its contacts with the [UN] Security Council and other international organisations to agree on measures to stop the Turkish-Iranian interference in the Gulf region,” Bakri said in a statement
Last month, the Turkish parliament passed a law proposed by the ruling party allowing the deployment of Turkish troops in Qatar. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is an ally of Doha.
“Since the Turkish parliament okayed the military deployment, the Turkish troops have been increasingly sent to Qatar which hosts a Turkish military base,” Bakri said.
“It is clear that the mission of these troops is not limited to joint training as Qatar has claimed. Their presence is tantamount to a declaration of war to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Egypt that have rejected Qatar’s suspicious role in supporting terrorist groups.”
The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar in addition to Kuwait and Oman.
“The arrival of Turkish troops and elements from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to Qatar places a new onus on Egypt to take all precautions in order to protect the Arab national security and head off direct foreign intervention in the region,” Bakri added.
On June 23, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain gave Qatar 10 days to comply with their demands or face further consequences. These demands include shutting down the Turkish military base in Qatar, curbing ties with Iran and stopping support for terrorist groups.
Tareq Al Khouli, another Egyptian lawmaker, questioned Qatar’s agenda.
“Qatar has proved that it will not reverse its stand against the Arab countries by allowing the deployment of hostile forces on its land,” he said.
Al Khouli called for “swift moves” to create a joint Arab force, a suggestion made by Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi more than two years ago.
“Political steps are no longer useful in handling Qatar that continues to subvert the Arab world and supporting terrorism,” he told private newspaper Al Watan.
Qatar and Turkey are staunch backers of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Relations between Egypt and both countries have deteriorated since 2013 when the army, then led by Al Sissi, deposed Islamist president Mohammad Mursi following enormous street protests against his rule.
Mursi is a senior official in the Brotherhood that the Egyptian government has blamed for a string of deadly attacks in the country over the past four years.
In November 2013, Egypt downgraded diplomatic ties with Turkey to the level of charges d’affaires in protest against Ankara’s repeated criticism of Mursi’s toppling.
