ANKARA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and Qatar military started a joint exercise on Monday with participation of more than 250 Turkish militants and over 30 armored vehicles, Turkey's local media reported on Tuesday.
Turkish land forces are participating in the first phase of the joint military exercise, while the second stage will include the naval forces of the two countries, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Turkish frigate "TCG Gokova" arrived in Hamad Port, southeast of the capital Qatar, with 214 personnel on July 31, to participate naval drill in Qatar territorial waters.
The joint exercises are conducted as part of military cooperation agreements between Turkey and Qatar in the fight against extremism and terrorism.
The latest joint exercise comes amid political tension among Gulf countries. Turkey has strongly backed its ally Qatar after the Gulf diplomatic crisis, which has continued almost two months since June 5, when the Saudi Arabia-led Arab alliance cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
Turkey's parliament on June 7 ratified two deals allowing Turkish troops deploying to Qatar and training its gendarmerie as part of a bilateral agreement signed in 2014.
