Qatari TV company Al Jazeera has named the demand of the Arabic states to close it as an attempt “to silence the freedom of expression,” TASS reports. 

"We assert our right to practice our journalism professionally without bowing to pressure from any government or authority and we demand that governments respect the freedom of media to allow journalists to continue to do their jobs free of intimidation, threats, and fearmongering," the statement said.

Several Arabic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain, which earlier severed the diplomatic ties with Qatar, presented a list of demands consisting of 13 points, Associated Press reported.

Among them were the severing of diplomatic ties with Iran, closing of Al Jazeera, termination of military cooperation with Turkey and closing of Turkish military base in the country.