Qatar and Turkey sign mutual defence agreement
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed a mutual defence agreement in Istanbul. It commits both sides to a unified position in the event of an external armed attack and to deeper military cooperation.
Turkey and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement in Istanbul on Friday, aiming to strengthen their security partnership in the Gulf and the wider Middle East. The document was adopted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani while co-chairing the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee. It matters because defence alignments in the region are shifting rapidly following the Iran war.
According to a joint statement from the two countries, the agreement is meant to bolster collective defence, support regional security and stability, and establish a unified position against any external armed attack targeting either or both parties. The sides agreed to consult on threats to their security and to deepen cooperation through joint military exercises, defence industry collaboration and the exchange of personnel training.
Erdogan said the two countries would keep working together to prevent a renewed outbreak of war in the Gulf and to promote dialogue and peace. His office said the agreement would add a new dimension to the "brotherly ties" between the two states. The leaders also discussed Israel's attacks on Gaza and the humanitarian situation there, efforts towards normalisation in Syria, and the latest developments in Libya. Several further agreements were signed on trade, energy, diplomacy, education and culture.
A new map of regional defence alliances
Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Indonesia have been shaping a new pattern of defence cooperation within a few months. Gulf states say the US security umbrella remains central to their security architecture, but as Washington signals its own global realignment, they are widening their defence strategies.
In August, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement", under which each would come to the aid of the others if attacked. The Turkish parliament ratified it last week. The pact links NATO member Turkey with Pakistan, the Muslim world's only nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia. Turkey says it is not aimed at any other country and is open to others, including Egypt. Also in August, Pakistan and Kuwait signed a defence and military cooperation agreement, and in October Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia signed the "Badr" memorandum of understanding on defence industry cooperation.
