Erdogan, Qatar’s emir sign defence deal, pledge support against external attacks
- Turkish president says pact to add new dimension to bilateral ties.
- Erdogan, Qatari emir discuss Iran war, Gaza and regional tensions.
- Both sides pledge efforts to prevent Gulf conflict and promote peace.
Turkiye and Qatar on Friday inked a mutual defence pact, committing to come to each other’s aid in the event of an external armed attack and expanding military cooperation as the two allies move to bolster security ties amid growing tensions in the Middle East.
The agreement was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul. The announcement followed the 12th session of the two countries’ Supreme Strategic Committee, according to a joint statement.
Under the agreement, the two countries committed to strengthening collective defence, consulting each other on security threats and coordinating their positions on regional and international security issues and defence policies.
They also agreed to expand cooperation through joint military exercises, defence-industry partnerships and personnel training exchanges.
“A mutual defence agreement signed by Turkiye and Qatar today will add a new dimension to the brotherly ties between the two countries,” Erdogan said during the meeting, according to a statement from his office.
The joint communique said the agreement reflected both countries’ commitment to protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity and their shared vision of a more secure and stable regional order.
The statement did not provide further operational details about the pact, including the mechanisms through which either country would respond to an armed attack.
Erdogan also said Ankara and Doha would continue working together to prevent a renewed outbreak of war in the Gulf and promote dialogue and peace.
“President Erdogan stated that we would continue working together to prevent the resurgence of war in the Gulf region and establish a basis for dialogue and achieve peace,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement on X.
The two leaders also discussed the war involving Iran, Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, as well as efforts towards normalisation in Syria and developments in Libya, according to the Turkish presidency.
Beyond defence, the countries expressed readiness to expand energy cooperation, particularly in liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade, building on their longstanding partnership. The Turkish presidency said both sides were working to diversify their energy relationship alongside growing defence-industry cooperation.
The Qatari emir travelled to Istanbul after attending the United Nations COP31 climate summit in southern Turkiye.
The agreement comes as Ankara expands its regional defence partnerships. In August, Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all three.
The Turkish parliament ratified the pact last week, clearing the way for its implementation. The agreement brings together Nato member Turkiye, which has the alliance’s second-largest military, Pakistan, the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s leading power.
The trilateral arrangement has taken on added significance amid regional hostilities, including attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement on Saudi territory. Its provisions provide for the three countries to come to each other’s assistance in the event of an attack.
Turkiye has said the agreement is not directed against any other country and remains open to participation by additional states, including Egypt.
In October, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkiye also signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation in Doha. Known as the Badr agreement, it aims to strengthen defence cooperation among the four participating countries.
