CAIRO: Turkey's army in Qatar is an element of instability in the Gulf region, a senior official of the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday, adding that it contributes to negative polarization.

"The Turkish military presence in the Arab Gulf is an emergency," UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted. "It reinforces polarization, and it does not take into account the sovereignty of states and the interests of the Gulf countries and its peoples."

(Reporting by Hesham Abdul Khalek; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) ((Hesham.AbdulKhalek@thomsonreuters.com;))