Türkiye, Qatar sign deal on defense cooperation

DOHA

Türkiye and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding on defense industry cooperation amid President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Doha and reports that the former is planning to purchase 12 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Qatar.

Erdoğan, on his three-nation Gulf tour, met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and other senior officials on Oct. 22. Erdoğan and Al Thani chaired the 11th meeting of the high strategic committee between the two countries, which resulted in signing several agreements. The president later left Qatar to begin his trip to Oman.

The joint communiqué was signed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

A memorandum of understanding on cooperating in the field of strategic development and exchange of experience was signed by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and Qatar's National Planning Council Secretary-General Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.

Bolat and his Qatari counterpart Trade and Industry Minister Sheikh Faisal bin Al-Thani also signed a joint statement.

The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the defense industry. It was signed by Türkiye's Defense Industry Agency (SSB) head Haluk Görgün and Qatar’s Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani

There were unconfirmed reports about Türkiye’s plans to acquire used Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Qatar until it supplies new ones from Airbus, the international company producing the Eurofighters.

Türkiye and an international consortium composed of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain have already initially agreed on the sale of 40 Eurofighter jets to the former. The final agreement is expected to be inked in the coming months.

Türkiye and Qatar have already signed key agreements to boost security and defense agreements and the former has a permanent military presence in Qatar, including land, navy and air forces.

Fidan, Kalın meet Hamas officials in Doha

Türkiye and Qatar, which have elevated their ties to the level of strategic partnership, have recently worked together on brokering a deal between Israel and Hamas to end the war.

In Doha, Fidan and Türkiye's intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın met with a Hamas delegation, sources from the Foreign Ministry said on Oct. 21. The two senior Turkish officials met with Hamas Shura Council head Mohammed Darwish and members of the Palestinian group’s political bureau, the sources said.

Kalın was actively involved in efforts to convince Hamas of not rejecting a peace plan prepared by U.S. President Donald Trump.