Turkiye and Qatar sign mutual defence pact in Istanbul.
Agreement covers military exercises and defence industry cooperation.
Ankara expands defence partnerships with Muslim-majority countries.
Turkiye and Qatar have agreed to strengthen their military ties through a mutual defence pact signed after talks between their leaders in Istanbul on Friday.
The Turkish presidency said Erdogan had stressed the need for both countries to work together to prevent another outbreak of war in the Gulf and create conditions for dialogue and peace.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s office described the defence agreement as one that would "add a new dimension to relations between Turkiye and Qatar". The Qatari Emir, meanwhile, called it a "strategic partnership".
In a post on X, Sheikh Tamim of Qatar said his discussions with Erdogan focused on building on existing cooperation and setting priorities for joint action in the coming period. He wrote that he had "discussed ways to build on what has been achieved and identify priorities for joint action in the coming period".
The Qatari Amiri Diwan said the two governments had also signed several other agreements. These included a memorandum of understanding "on cooperation in the field of peace, reconciliation and conflict resolution," according to Al Jazeera.
Under the agreement, the two countries pledged to adopt a unified position in the event of an external armed attack targeting either or both of them. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation through joint military exercises, defence industry collaboration and personnel training, according to a joint statement.
Turkiye Is Expanding Its Defence Partnership
The latest agreement comes amid growing defence cooperation between Turkiye and several Muslim-majority countries. In October, Turkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation in Doha. The agreement, called "Badr", aims to strengthen military ties among the four countries.
Turkiye has also been expanding its defence partnerships with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The three countries signed a regional defence pact in August, committing to support one another if any member came under attack.
The agreement was ratified by the Turkish parliament last week. It brings together NATO member Turkiye, which has the alliance's second-largest military, and Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed country in the Muslim world.
Ankara has maintained that the pact is not directed against any other country and has said it remains open to additional members, including Egypt.
