Ankara and Doha sign mutual defence pact

Signing of the treaty in Istanbul

The leaders of Turkey and Qatar officially cemented their relations by signing a mutual defence agreement. The signing of the document took place during a meeting between Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Istanbul.

Goal: regional stability and energy cooperation

In accordance with the agreements reached, the countries will cooperate to prevent the resurgence of war in the Persian Gulf region. The parties also intend to create a solid foundation for further dialogue. A separate direction was the deepening and diversification of the energy partnership between Ankara and Doha.

Context: ratification of the Mecca Agreement

This step comes against the backdrop of recent events, when last week the Turkish parliament ratified the so-called Mecca Agreement on joint defence. This document allowed Ankara to provide military support to Saudi Arabia, which is facing attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants.

It is worth noting that the Mecca Agreement, signed by three regional states in August, contains a key provision: any attack on one of the parties is considered an attack on all.