Turkey says gulf troops in Bahrain must be temporary

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday insisted that Gulf troops in Bahrain must be temporary, saying it is important that political transformation take place without any foreign intervention. Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, speaking at a joint news conference with Davutoglu, said that foreign forces are only there to "protect state organs" and would be there for a "very limited" time. Davutoglu said he is pleased to hear this. Al-Khalifa paid a two-day visit to Turkey "to thank Turkey for its fair behavior and position" amid recent unrest in the region. He spoke with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. Davutoglu warned against sectarian clashes in the region, saying they would harm the entire process of transformation. Civilian deaths and sectarian clashes are "unacceptable" for Turkey, he said, adding that it is very important that there are no confrontations between civilians and security forces. "We hope that stability, territorial integrity, sovereignty and a strong economy will be sustained," said Davutoglu.