Turkiye and Qatar Sign Mutual Defence Pact Pledging a Joint Stance Against Attack

The agreement was signed at the 12th session of the two countries' Supreme Strategic Committee. Neither government has published the text. The Turkish presidency's statement on X did not say what obligations the agreement creates. In their joint communique, the two sides said they would consult each other on threats to their security, on regional and global security issues and on defence policy. They also said they would expand cooperation through joint military exercises, work in the defence industry and exchanges of personnel for training.

The pact gives Qatar a written security commitment from a NATO member at a time when the Iran war has left Gulf states exposed. Erdogan described it in those terms. "President Erdogan stated that we would continue working together to prevent the resurgence of war in the Gulf region and establish a basis for dialogue and achieve peace," the presidency said. It quoted him as saying the agreement would "add another dimension to our brotherhood".

The joint statement said the agreement reflected both countries' commitment to protecting their sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a shared aim of a more secure and stable regional order.

The talks also covered energy. The joint statement said both countries were ready to pursue energy cooperation, particularly in liquefied natural gas trade. The Turkish presidency said the two governments were working to develop and diversify their energy partnership, and that cooperation between their defence industries would keep growing.

Yusuf Alabarda, a security analyst, told Al Jazeera that since the Iran war began, countries in the region "are feeling the effects of the war and no one is feeling secure". He said Gulf states, Qatar in particular, had concluded that their security guarantees from the United States "are not working properly". He noted that Turkish troops are already in Qatar and said that "in the near term Turkish weapons and air defences might be deployed to Qatar". In his view, the agreement would help move those military deals forward.

It is Ankara's second Gulf defence agreement this year. In August, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement in Makkah, under which an attack on one party counts as an attack on all. Turkiye's parliament ratified that agreement last week, which clears the way for Ankara to send military support to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has been struggling to fend off attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militants.

The statements released on Friday do not say whether the Qatar agreement contains a similar clause treating an attack on one country as an attack on both, or whether it will go to the Turkish parliament for ratification as the Makkah pact did.