Bahrain has accused Qatar of a “military escalation” in the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf by allowing a growing force of Turkish soldiers to enter its territory.

A coalition of Arab states led by Saudi has been blockading Qatar for three weeks and was angered by footage of Turkish light tanks rolling through the streets of Doha over the weekend.

Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s foreign minister, said the move was a provocation that would only worsen the standoff between the Gulf neighbours.

"The disagreement with Qatar is a political and security dispute and has never been military. But the deployment of foreign troops with their armoured vehicles is a military escalation for which Qatar will bear the consequences,” he said.