The agreement was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul on Friday. The announcement followed the 12th session of the two countries’ Supreme Strategic Committee.
Under the agreement, the two countries will strengthen collective defence, consult each other on security threats and coordinate their positions on regional and international security matters.
They also agreed to expand cooperation through joint military exercises, defence industry partnerships and exchanges of military personnel for training.
“A mutual defence agreement signed by Türkiye and Qatar today will add a new dimension to the brotherly ties between the two countries,” Erdogan said, according to a statement from his office.
A joint statement said the agreement reflected both countries’ commitment to protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as their shared goal of promoting regional stability.
However, the statement did not provide operational details about the pact, including how either country would respond if the other came under armed attack.
Erdogan also said Ankara and Doha would continue working to prevent a renewed outbreak of war in the Gulf and promote dialogue and peace.
The Turkish presidency said the two leaders had agreed to work together to prevent further conflict in the region and create conditions for diplomatic engagement.
Leaders discuss regional conflicts
The two leaders also discussed the conflict involving Iran, Israeli attacks on Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.
Other topics included efforts to normalise the situation in Syria and developments in Libya, according to the Turkish presidency.
Beyond defence, Türkiye and Qatar expressed their readiness to expand energy cooperation, particularly in liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade.
The Turkish presidency said both countries were working to diversify their energy partnership alongside growing cooperation in the defence industry.
The Qatari emir travelled to Istanbul after attending the United Nations COP31 climate summit in southern Türkiye.
Türkiye expands regional defence partnerships
The agreement comes as Ankara seeks to strengthen its defence partnerships across the region.
In August, Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, under which an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all three.
The Turkish parliament ratified the agreement last week, clearing the way for its implementation.
The pact brings together Türkiye, a NATO member with the alliance’s second-largest military, Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed country in the Muslim world, and Saudi Arabia, a major regional power.
The agreement has gained significance amid regional tensions, including attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement on Saudi territory.
Türkiye has said the trilateral pact is not directed against any other country and remains open to additional members, including Egypt.
In October, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and Türkiye also signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation in Doha. Known as the Badr agreement, it aims to strengthen military cooperation among the four countries.
