ISTANBUL: Turkiye and Qatar signed a mutual defense agreement on Friday aimed at strengthening collective defense and promoting regional security, ​and pledged a unified stance against any external armed attack targeting either country, according to a joint statement issued after talks between their leaders.

The two sides agreed to consult on threats to their security, as well as regional and global security issues and defense policies, and to expand cooperation through joint military exercises, defense-industry cooperation and personnel training exchanges.

Turkish ‌President Tayyip Erdogan ‌signed the accord during a meeting ​in ‌Istanbul ⁠with ​Qatari Emir ⁠Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The agreement reflected the two countries’ commitment to safeguarding their sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as their shared vision of a more secure and stable regional order, Turkiye and Qatar said in the joint communique following the 12th session of their Supreme Strategic Committee.

“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 Turkish presidency said in a statement on ‌X.

The countries also expressed readiness to pursue energy cooperation, particularly in liquefied natural gas trade, building on their long-standing relationship, the joint statement added.

The Turkish presidency had said Turkiye and Qatar were working ‌to develop and diversify their energy partnership and that their cooperation in the defense industry ⁠would continue ⁠to grow.

In August, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement in Makkah, bringing together the Sunni Muslim US allies at a time of conflict across the region.

Turkiye’s parliament ratified the so-called Makkah Joint Defense Agreement last week, clearing the way for Ankara to send military support to Saudi Arabia, which has been struggling to fend off attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants.

Under the agreement, signed by the three regional powers in August, an attack ​on one party constitutes ​an attack on all.