Turkey and Qatar sign development agreements

Qatar and Turkey have signed 15 cooperation agreements in various fields, including regarding on a protocol for cooperation in the field of training and education between the interior ministries of the two countries.

The signing followed the first meeting of the Qatar-Turkish Supreme Strategic Committee in Doha yesterday, headed by both Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The chief editor of Qatar’s Sharq newspaper, Jaber Al-Harami, reported the Emir of Qatar as saying that “the establishment of the Higher Strategic Committee represents a quality leap in relations between the two countries.”

Turkey considers Qatar an important ally and views Doha as gateway to strengthen its relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

“We hope to improve our relations with Saudi Arabia over time as well as with the GCC taking advantage of Qatar’s presidency of the Council,” Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reported the Turkish president as saying.

Erdogan told reporters ahead of the meeting that the armies of the two countries “have conducted their first joint military exercises.”

The 15 agreements include areas of education, environment, maritime affairs, energy, science and technology.

The Turkish president also announced that visa restrictions between Turkey and Qatar have been lifted.