Istanbul, The Turkish parliament approved, in its meeting today, Wednesday, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s memorandum regarding sending military forces to Qatar to contribute to securing and protecting the World Cup matches for a period not exceeding six months.
The memorandum stated that more than one million people from all over the world are expected to participate in this event, and stated that the World Cup would be secured in partnership with the Qatari armed forces.
The memorandum, called Operation World Cup Shield, stated that in order to achieve a successful and safe organization of the 2022 World Cup, the necessary measures will be jointly developed by the State of Qatar and the participating countries against various threats, especially terrorism, on the Qatari land borders, and in areas of air and maritime.
The memorandum stated that the Qatari government asked friendly and allied countries, including the United States, France, Britain, Italy, Pakistan and Turkey, to contribute elements of the armed forces to the operation.
The memorandum indicated that in light of the exceptional cooperation that we have developed in the political, economic, military and other fields, as well as cultural and humanitarian ties, and the importance of the stability and security of the Gulf region for the entire region, it was assessed that it would be useful to respond positively to the request of the Qatari government.
The memorandum touched on a proposal to send teams of police, including riot police, to Qatar to participate in policing during the 2022 FIFA World Cup matches.
It added: “With these considerations, the Turkish Armed Forces will be deployed within Qatar’s borders and in the territorial waters of the State of Qatar and its adjacent areas, in order to provide the support requested by the Qatari government and to participate in the World Cup Shield operation.”
The Turkish Interior Ministry had announced earlier that it would send more than 3,000 riot police, 100 special operations police, 50 bomb-handlers, and 80 police dogs and dogs trained for use in riot control to help secure stadiums and hotels during the World Cup in Qatar.
It is noteworthy that the World Cup Qatar 2022 matches will start on the twentieth of next month with the opening match between the teams of Qatar and Ecuador at the “Al-Bayt” stadium in the first football World Cup to be held in the Middle East and the Arab world.
Over 29 days, the tournament will witness 64 matches, with the competition closing on December 18, coinciding with Qatar National Day at Lusail Stadium, which can accommodate 80,000 fans.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency