DOHA: Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia signed an agreement Wednesday to boost defense cooperation and strengthen defensive capabilities, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.
The four countries signed the “Badr Memorandum of Understanding” in Doha, signaling their intent to deepen cooperation and develop partnerships, the ministry said in a statement.
“The agreement holds substantial economic importance,” the ministry said, adding that it seeks to foster cooperation in military production, boost military capabilities and encourage collaboration in technical military training and research and development.
“By leveraging the unique military production capabilities of each country, the initiative will facilitate cooperation and integration, enhance defense industrial capacities, and enable the fulfillment of the needs of allied and friendly nations,” it added.
Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a robust defense industry, has been helping Gulf nations including Qatar — where it maintains a military base — bolster their defenses. In August, Ankara signed a mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia under which an attack on one party constitutes an attack on all. Turkey also has close ties with Indonesia, particularly in the defense industry.
The ministry said the Badr accord would strengthen ties between the countries’ defense industries and bolster collaboration to promote security and achieve shared objectives.
Haluk Gorgun, chairman of Turkey’s Defense Industry Presidency, said the accord formed the foundation of a “strategic cooperation” to develop joint production and technology.
“Technology sharing, joint development and strengthening domestic production capabilities lie at the heart of sustainable defense industry. As Turkey, we value partnerships that go beyond off-the-shelf procurement models, that foster the development of a nation’s own human capital and industrial infrastructure,” Gorgun said in a statement.
“We believe that the Badr Memorandum of Understanding will contribute to transforming the complementary capabilities of Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey into concrete projects,” he added.
