Turkey rejects foreign meddling in Bahrain.

Summary: MANAMA: The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reiterated Turkey's rejection of any foreign interference in Bahrain's internal affairs while in Manama Tuesday. Bahrain imposed martial law last month and called in troops from Gulf neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, to quell a protest movement led mostly by the state's Shiite majority. Iran's criticism of Saudi Arabia

MANAMA: The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reiterated Turkey's rejection of any foreign interference in Bahrain's internal affairs while in Manama Tuesday.

Bahrain imposed martial law last month and called in troops from Gulf neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, to quell a protest movement led mostly by the state's Shiite majority. Iran's criticism of Saudi Arabia for sending in the troops has in turn drawn condemnation from Gulf Arab states over what they called Iranian interference.

Davutoglu told Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad al-Khalifa that his country "supports Bahrain's measures aimed at preserving its security, stability and unity," the Bahraini state news agency reported Tuesday. He said Turkey will "not accept any harm to befall the kingdom of Bahrain," adding that his country is keen to preserve the "stability and balance" of Gulf Arab countries.

The minister, who arrived Tuesday in Manama, underlined Bahrain's "strategic importance" on the regional and international levels. He added that Turkey "rejects any foreign interference" in the Gulf kingdom's affairs, without elaborating.

In a separate development, authorities deported two journalists working for the opposition's main newspaper Tuesday, their colleagues said.

The government accused Al-Wasat newspaper of unethical coverage of the Shiite uprising against the Sunni rulers. The deported journalists are both Iraqi and have been working for Al-Wasat since 2005.

Authorities reversed a ban on Al-Wasat print and online editions Sunday after its editor-in-chief Mansoor al-Jamri and two other top editors stepped down. Jamri told the AP he resigned from his position to save the paper from a campaign to muzzle anti-government media and crack down on the Shiite opposition.

Bahrain's government spokeswoman, Maysoon Sabkar, told reporters in Manama Tuesday that Jamri was fired as the paper's chief editor.

She said Jamri was responsible for running "fabricated news reports" and "false pictures" in the paper. The Al-Wasat board named Obaydli al-Obaydli as the new editor-in-chief, Sabkar said, adding that authorities are also taking "necessary legal measures" against the newspaper.

Bahrain has sharply tightened Internet and media controls under the military rule imposed last month.

Hundreds of protesters, activists and opposition leaders have been detained by the authorities. Bloggers and journalists have been threatened by armed thugs and harassed by authorities.

At least 27 people have been killed since the protests began in Bahrain in mid-February. -- The Daily Star, AP

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