More Turkish troops have been stationed in Qatar as tensions flare between Ankara and Doha's Gulf neighbors, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The group of soldiers arrived at Al Udeid Air Base in southern Doha earlier this week, according to Daily Sabah.
With a capacity to house some 5,000 troops, the base has been occupied by the Turkish military since earlier this year, shortly after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt launched a diplomatic and economic boycott against Qatar.
Although the deal between Ankara and Doha was made in 2014, the timing of the troops' arrival drew condemnation from the Qatar's neighboring Gulf countries.
Tensions escalated between Qatar and its Arab neighbors in May, with the Saudi-led block accusing Qatar of supporting and financing terrorism. The boycotting nations cut diplomatic and economic ties with Doha, while also blocking access to some Qatar-owned media outlets.
In an effort to end the crisis, the Saudi-led block issued 13 demands of Qatar in June. One of those conditions was to terminate the Turkish military presence within the country.
However, instead of agreeing to its fellow Arab countries' demands, Qatar has worked to increase ties with Turkey, as well as Iran.
Although the Saudi-led block said in September that military action against Qatar "was not — and will not be — an option in any way," the tensions between the feuding nations have continued to simmer.
This week, Anwar Gargash, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, tweeted that the region will not bow to the demands of Ankara and Tehran, two capitals Doha is allying itself with more closely.
"The sectarian and partisan approach is not an acceptable alternative. The Arab world will not be led by Tehran and Ankara,” Gargash said, Bloomberg reported.
In addition to inviting Turkish troops into its borders, Qatar has been spending billions to expand its military. As of August, the country had spent >at least $18 billion to improve its military capabilities.
However, Qatar's military expenditures still pale in comparison to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which spent about $64 billion and $23 billion in 2016 respectively.