Turkey and Qatar sign mutual defence pact pledging unified response to any attack

Turkey and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement in Istanbul on Friday, committing both countries to a unified response to any external armed attack on either party and to consulting each other on regional and global security threats.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani formalised the accord at the 12th session of their Supreme Strategic Committee. Sheikh Tamim travelled to Istanbul directly from a regional engagement.

The agreement provides for joint military exercises, defence-industry cooperation and personnel training exchanges. The two sides also expressed readiness to pursue energy cooperation, particularly in liquefied natural gas trade.

The Turkish presidency said Erdoğan stated that the two countries would continue working together "to prevent the resurgence of war in the Gulf region" and establish a basis for dialogue and achieve peace.

The pact extends a pattern of regional defence architecture assembled by Ankara since August, when Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement — under which an attack on one party constitutes an attack on all. The Turkish parliament ratified that agreement last week. The Mecca pact links NATO member Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and clears the way for Ankara to send military support to Riyadh in its conflict with Yemen's Houthi militants.

Turkey has said the Mecca agreement is not aimed at any other country and remains open to other states, including Egypt.