Turkey and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement on Friday aimed at strengthening collective defence and promoting regional security, pledging a unified stance against any external armed attack targeting either country.
President Tayyip Erdogan signed the accord in Istanbul during talks with the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, at the 12th session of the two countries’ Supreme Strategic Committee, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.
The two sides agreed to consult on threats to their security, as well as on regional and global security issues and defence policies, and to expand cooperation through joint military exercises, defence-industry work and personnel training exchanges.
The agreement reflected the two countries’ commitment to safeguarding their sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as their shared vision of a more secure and stable regional order, the joint statement said.
Erdogan said the two countries would keep working together “to prevent the resurgence of war in the Gulf region and establish a basis for dialogue and achieve peace”, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency. He added that Turkey and Qatar were working to develop and diversify their energy partnership, including trade in liquefied natural gas, and that cooperation in the defence industry would continue to grow.
Turkey already maintains a military presence in Qatar, with a base outside Doha established in 2017, and the two countries have long been close partners on regional security. The new accord formalises that relationship at a moment when war between the United States and Israel and Iran has reshaped the Gulf’s security map.
The pact follows a wider pattern of defence deals across the region. In August, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca under which an attack on one party constitutes an attack on all. Turkey’s parliament ratified that agreement last week, clearing the way for Ankara to send military support to Saudi Arabia, which has been struggling to fend off attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants.
The full text of the Turkey-Qatar agreement has not been published, and the joint statement gave no details of the specific commitments it contains. The account of its contents rests on the joint statement as reported by Reuters, and has not been independently verified by The Hourly News.
Sources: Reuters, “Turkey, Qatar sign mutual defence agreement, Turkish presidency says” (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-qatar-sign-mutual-defence-agreement-turkish-presidency-says-2026-11-13/)
