Turkey, Qatar enhance military cooperation

UPDATES QUOTES

By Ilhan Toprak

DOHA, Qatar

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday concluded a military deal with Qatar during an official two-day visit to the Gulf nation.

The deal involves a military agreement to deploy Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to Qatar.

The measure was signed by Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz and his Qatari counterpart Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah with the presence of Davutoglu and Qatari Interior Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Speaking at the Turkey-Qatar Business Forum organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), Davutoglu described relations between both countries in the past 10-12 years as “exceptional”.

“The trade volume of Turkey-Qatar relations has raised threefold and reached $1.3 billion in the last five years,” Davutoglu said expressing the aim to reach $5 billion.

Davutoglu praised cultural and historical links between both countries.

Davutoglu visited the Turkish Army's ground troops deployed in Qatar last October as part of a bilateral agreement.

Davutoglu also met his counterpart Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani in Qatar.

Thani said Qatar and Turkey had to pursue further cooperation in order to prevent economic, political and humanitarian crises in the world and particularly in the Middle East, the Qatar News Agency reported Thursday.