AA photo.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said his country’s strategic partnership with Türkiye continued to grow, following talks in Istanbul that set out plans for closer security cooperation.
In a post on X after his Nov. 13 meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Al Thani said the two sides had discussed building on previous cooperation and setting priorities for their joint work.
The leaders co-chaired the 12th Türkiye-Qatar High Strategic Committee meeting at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Office.
A joint statement said the mutual defense agreement signed during the talks aimed to strengthen collective defense and establish a common stance against an external armed attack on either country.
The two sides agreed to consult on security threats and expand cooperation through joint military exercises, defense industry projects and personnel training exchanges.
Erdoğan said Türkiye and Qatar would continue working to prevent war from flaring up again in the Gulf, stressing the importance of resolving disputes through diplomacy, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
He said defense industry cooperation would expand and Türkiye was working to develop and diversify its energy partnership with Qatar.
The joint statement also reaffirmed a $5 billion bilateral trade goal and expressed readiness for further energy cooperation, particularly in liquefied natural gas trade.
The leaders discussed Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the humanitarian situation there, Syria’s normalization efforts and developments in Libya.
Five documents were signed at the meeting: the mutual defense agreement, an education accord, memoranda on consumer protection and market oversight, and on peace, reconciliation and conflict resolution, alongside the joint statement.
