Turkish troops have arrived in Doha to take part in joint training exercises, Qatar's defense ministry said on Monday. The first joint drills took place on Sunday at the Tariq Bin Ziyad military camp in Doha, the ministry said in a statement. The exercises aim to raise "Qatari and Turkish fighting efficiency," said the statement in Arabic. The drills had "been planned for some time" added the statement. Earlier this month, Ankara fast-tracked a separate agreement to allow troops to be deployed at Turkey's military base in Qatar. It has also increased food supplies to Qatar after the emirate's land border was closed. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has been one of the figures trying to forge a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Turkey set up the base, its first such installation in the Middle East, as part of an agreement signed in 2014. — Agencies
