‘Turkey, Qatar move toward strategic partnership’
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (R) and emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (L) in Istanbul, Turkey, May 13, 2022.
TURKEY and Qatar are moving toward a strategic partnership while boosting their bilateral ties, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said yesterday.
The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to Turkey on Friday is highly significant in consolidating the strong and strategic relations between the two countries, Altun said in an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA).
Altun said that this visit also revealed the overlap in the attitudes of the countries toward regional and global issues. Altun said that Turkey’s cooperation with Qatar in fields such as the economy, security, diplomacy, culture, tourism and education has turned into a real brotherhood and added that the two countries have overcome several challenges in the past few years thanks to this cooperation.
He pointed out that with the establishment of the Turkey-Qatar High Strategic Committee in 2014, relations became stronger and more than 80 cooperation agreements were signed in various fields.
Altun said that the two countries aim to increase their bilateral trade volume to $5 billion.
“There are cooperation opportunities between Turkey and Qatar in heavy industry, tourism development, agriculture and construction. We think that with the new cooperations to be made, the economic cooperation between the two countries will move to new dimensions,” he outlined.
Explaining that Qatar and Turkey also support dialogue, diplomacy and mediation efforts for security, stability, peace and the resolution of international problems, Altun said that meetings between Erdoğan and Sheikh Tamim bring permanent solutions to significant issues and crises in the Middle East.
“With Turkey and Qatar acting in synergy and harmony in the Middle East, the hope for a solution for the long-term conflicts in the region will increase. The military relations that Turkey has developed with Qatar should be seen as a proactive and empowering element in this regard,” he said.
“Turkey and Qatar are in constant communication and coordination on many issues, especially on political issues and developments in the region. The two countries have similar visions on many issues, especially on the Syria, Palestine and Libya issues,” he said further on regional cooperation.
“Bilateral relations will definitely have an effect on the growth, peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East,” Altun added. Ankara and Doha enjoy strong relations, particularly since the 2017 blockade of the Gulf country by Saudi Arabia and others. The two countries have strengthened military and economic ties in recent years. The sixth meeting of the Turkey-Qatar Supreme Strategic Committee was held in 2020 in the Turkish capital Ankara. Ten agreements were signed between the two countries in the presence of the two leaders. Within the framework of the Supreme Strategic Committee meetings, a total of 68 agreements and protocols were signed between the two countries previously.
Turkish-Qatari relations are also witnessing a growing and continuous cooperation at various levels, with high coordination on many regional and international issues, including the Libyan crisis and Afghanistan. In addition to bilateral trade and diplomatic relations, the two countries played a pivotal role in supporting the legitimate Libyan government and defending Tripoli against putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces in a 14-month offensive. They also cooperated to reopen Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport after the Taliban took over following the government’s fall and the withdrawal of U.S. forces.