Opposition asks if Turkish police will be stripped off flag in Qatar
Turkey’s main opposition CHP (Republican People’s brought forward the allegations that the Turkish flag will be stripped off from the uniforms of the police force which will go to Qatar to serve there during the FIFA World Cup that will kick off on November 21.
"Our police are not Qatar's private security guards. No one can reduce the Turkish police who work with patriotism, to the position of paid private security guards,” said CHP deputy Murat Bakan, who gave a parliamentary question for interior minister Suleyman Soylu to answer.
With a population of less than 3 million Qatar faces a shortage of personnel as it prepares for the month-long FIFA soccer tournament, so it has turned to Turkey to secure the competition which is expected to attract an unprecedented 1.2 million visitors, Reuters reported in September, citing sources from the interior ministry.
Under a protocol signed between the two countries Ankara agreed to deploy 3,000 riot police and 100 special operations police to Qatar, along with 50 bomb specialists and 80 sniffer dogs and riot dogs.
Turkish police going to Qatar are being taught English and given guidance about what to expect when they arrive in the Gulf state, the Turkish source told Reuters.
Nearly 800 Qataris have also been trained by Turkey on issues ranging from "sports safety" to "intervention in social events", the source added.
Turkish state TV TRT in late September reported that the first group of the police force arrived in Qatar’s capital Doha for the tournament
CHP deputy asked the minister if it was true that Qatar requested Turkish police not to wear a uniform with symbols of crescent and star. He also asked by which criteria the Turkish security personnel was chosen what the security risks this operation would create for Turkey.
Bakan also asked if it was true that the Turkish police on duty went to Qatar unarmed, and were not provided with equipment such as protective helmets, jockeys, and body protective suits.
