Reports on Turkey-Qatar military training accords questioned by Erdogan critics
A military education agreement between Turkey and Qatar drew backlash from opposition members in Ankara after local media reporting misrepresented its content, though rumors persist.
ISTANBUL — The deepening cooperation between strategic allies Turkey and Qatar has long drawn scrutiny from opposition parties in Ankara, and an accord published in the nation’s Official Gazette on June 24 stirred fresh controversy after its contents were misrepresented in local media reports.
Titled the Turkey-Qatar Military Health Education and Cooperation Protocol, the agreement establishes opportunities for both Turkish and Qatari military students to pursue diplomas from university programs involving dentistry, pharmaceutical and other health-related studies.
The mutual exchange program will run for five years, though some initial media reports claimed the accord would allow Qatari students to enter Turkish institutions without taking the normally required entrance exams, drawing backlash from main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
“Didn't one of you come out and say that this is unfair? Our children are wasting all their youth to get into those schools,” Kilicdaroglu tweeted regarding the accords Friday, adding, “We will tear up these protocols.”
