Qatar and Turkey reaffirmed their desire to scale up bilateral relations and create a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” Doha’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani tweeted following a ministerial meeting with Turkish officials.
Ankara is considered a major ally of Doha which is dealing with a prolonged boycott by fellow Gulf Arab states.
After signing a military cooperation agreement, on April 28, 2014 between the Qatari Ministry of Defense and the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Ankara established a military base in Qatar.
Doha has acted in defiance of the Arab League last month when it voiced support for the Turkish operation against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria.
Other Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, condemned Turkey’s “aggression” as a threat to regional peace and security and a violation of Syria’s sovereignty.
According to AFP, Qatar, which supported the Syrian opposition in the conflict against the Syrian regime, failed to condemn the Turkish attack amid criticism from several Arab countries.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu personally thanked Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad for supporting the operation during a meeting in Doha. In a tweet, he described Qatar as a “brotherly” nation and conveyed the greetings of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey and Qatar have grown closer since Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain launched a boycott of Doha over its links to extremist groups. Ankara boosted its military presence in Qatar and Doha promised support for Turkey’s economy.
