Pact commits the two countries to a “unified position” against external armed attack, weeks after Turkey’s parliament ratified a separate defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
ISTANBUL 14 NOVEMBER 2026 (Agencies) – Turkey and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement in Istanbul on Friday aimed at adopting a “unified position” against an external armed attack on either country.
The announcement followed talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The agreement seeks to strengthen collective defence and regional security, according to a joint statement. The two countries also agreed to consult on security threats and to expand cooperation through joint military exercises, defence industry projects and personnel training exchanges. The pact will “add a new dimension to the brotherly ties between the two countries”, Erdo?an said during the meeting, according to his office. The Qatari ruler travelled to Istanbul after attending the United Nations COP31 climate summit in southern Turkey.
The agreement follows a regional defence pact signed in August by Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, committing them to come to one another’s aid if any of them came under attack. Turkey’s parliament ratified that pact last week. It links Turkey, which has the second-largest military in NATO, with Pakistan, the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed state, and Saudi Arabia. Turkey has said the pact is not aimed at any country and is open to other states, including Egypt. Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey also signed a defence cooperation memorandum called “Badr” in Doha in October to expand military cooperation.
Erdo?an and the Qatari emir also discussed the war involving Iran. Turkey and Qatar would continue working together “to prevent a renewed outbreak of war in the Gulf region and to promote dialogue and peace”, Erdo?an said. Their talks also covered Israel’s attacks on Gaza, the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, efforts toward normalisation in Syria and developments in Libya, according to the Turkish presidency.