Turkiye and Qatar have signed a defence agreement to strengthen bilateral military ties and cooperation, according to a statement from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office on Friday.
The announcement followed a meeting between Erdogan and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul. The Qatari leader arrived in the city after participating in the COP31 climate summit in southern Turkiye.
Erdogan described the agreement as a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations. However, his office did not disclose specific provisions of the pact.
The Turkish president also pledged to expand defence industry cooperation between the two countries, adding that both sides would continue efforts to prevent conflict and support dialogue for regional peace.
According to the statement, the leaders also discussed Israel’s attacks on Gaza, the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, efforts to normalise the situation in Syria and recent developments in Libya.
The agreement follows a joint defence pact signed by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in Makkah. Under that arrangement, an attack on any one of the three countries is considered an attack on all parties.
