Turkey, Qatar sign mutual defence agreement

Turkey and Qatar announced on Friday that they signed a mutual defence agreement, which they said was aimed at adopting a "unified position" in the face of an external attack. The announcement came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul. Erdogan had said the agreement would further strengthen ties between the regional allies, according to his office. Qatar's ruler travelled to Istanbul after attending the United Nations COP31 climate summit in southern Turkey. "The two parties hailed the signing of the mutual defence agreement between Qatar and Turkey," according to a joint statement carried by Qatar's state news agency. The agreement was "aimed at bolstering collective defence and achieving regional security and stability, as well as adopting a unified position in the face of any external armed attack targeting either or both parties", the statement said. "The two parties agreed to hold consultations on threats to their security... and to strengthen cooperation through joint military exercises, collaboration in the field of defence industries, and the exchange of personnel training." Erdogan's office had earlier announced the agreement, without going into the details of its contents. "A mutual defence agreement signed by Turkey and Qatar today will add a new dimension to the brotherly ties between the two countries," Erdogan said during the meeting, according to the statement from his office. Erdogan also said Turkey and Qatar would expand cooperation in the defence industry. - Iran war backdrop - In August, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a regional defence pact under which the three countries would come to each other's aid if one of them came under attack. Ratified by the Turkish parliament last week, the pact links NATO member Turkey, which has the alliance's second-largest military, with Pakistan, the Muslim world's only nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia, the Gulf's leading power. Turkey has said the agreement is not aimed at any other country and remains open to other states, including Egypt. In October, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation in Doha. The agreement, known as "Badr", aims to bolster cooperation between the participating countries. Erdogan and the Qatari emir also discussed the Iran war. Turkey and Qatar would continue working together "to prevent a renewed outbreak of war in the Gulf region and to promote dialogue and peace", Erdogan said. The leaders discussed Israel's attacks on Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, efforts towards normalisation in Syria and the latest developments in Libya, the statement added. fo-sh/amj/sbk