Turkey’s president has said the country offered to set up a military base in Saudi Arabia, while emphasizing that the Turkish base in Qatar would serve regional security.

In an interview with Portuguese broadcaster RTP aired Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said work on the Qatar base began in 2014 at the country’s request. Turkey and Qatar have signed an agreement that includes the base and stationing of Turkish troops.

Erdogan said he had made the same offer to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Abdelaziz. He says the king agreed to evaluate it, but no developments since.

Erdogan has repeatedly expressed his wish that the Saudi king would help heal the breach with Qatar, which has been isolated by the Saudis and other key Arab countries for allegedly supporting terrorism.

Source: hthosted.ap.org