Turkiye and Qatar have signed a mutual defence agreement, the office of President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. The signing took place as Erdogan met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Istanbul.
In a statement posted on X, the presidency said Erdogan had stated that the two countries would keep working together to prevent a resurgence of war in the Gulf region. The statement did not provide details of the defence accord.
Energy and defence cooperation in focus
The presidency said Erdogan had described efforts to develop and diversify the energy partnership between Turkiye and Qatar, and said defence industry cooperation would continue to grow. It also quoted him as saying the agreement “would add another dimension to our brotherhood.”
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The presidency did not elaborate on what the new pact would require of either side.
Makkah pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
Earlier, in August, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement” in Makkah. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said at the time that the pact aimed to strengthen collective security, enhance defence cooperation and promote peace and stability across the region.
Turkey’s parliament ratified the Makkah agreement last week, clearing the way for Ankara to send military support to Saudi Arabia, which has been struggling to fend off attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants. Under the pact, an attack on one party counts as an attack on all.
A Turkish ruling party lawmaker told a news agency last month that Ankara also planned to seek parliamentary approval for deploying military personnel to Saudi Arabia under the agreement.
