Turkey and Qatar sign mutual defence agreement

Announcement by Turkish presidency is the latest in a series of defence agreements amongst Middle Eastern and Islamic states Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pictured with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani during a welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, 8 August 2024 (Murat Cetin Muhurdar/Turkish presidential press office/AFP) Published date: 13 November 2026 15:56 GMT | Last update: 6 sec ago Turkey and Qatar have signed a mutual defence agreement in Istanbul on Friday, in what is the latest military pact between Ankara and other Muslim states. The defence agreement was one of five agreed between Turkey and Qatar, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. A statement by the Turkish president's office said that Friday's mutual defence agreement with Qatar "would add another dimension to our brotherhood". Erdogan said Turkey and Qatar’s cooperation in the defence industry would continue to grow, according to the statement. Turkey and Qatar have had several defence agrements since 2017, including the hosting of Turkish troops in Doha, but the new deal obliged both countries to come to the other's defence. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In August this year, Turkey signed a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, known as the Mecca Agreement. Last week, the Turkish parliament passed a law approving the Mecca defence pact early on Friday, completing a crucial stage in the legal process. The move will allow the deployment of Turkish troops to Saudi Arabia, which is currently at war with Yemen's Houthis. In October, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that any deployment to Saudi Arabia would be defensive in nature and that Turkish forces would not operate in Yemen. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.