Since Qatar and Turkey established bilateral relations in 1972, both countries have become close partners and allies.
Turkey and Qatar’s relationship dates back to the late 19th century when the Ottoman Empire considered adding the Eastern Arabian Peninsula, including modern-day Qatar, into its vast empire – a claim it gave up in 1913 after the fall of the Ottomans.
More recently, the strength of this relationship covers various facets in diplomacy, shared international interest, economic and trade growth, and global peace and stability. Turkey’s main export items to Qatar include electrical and electronic equipment, furniture, construction components, petroleum and mineral oils, milk and dairy products. In contrast, Qatar exports raw aluminum, mineral fuels (LNG), and plastic products.
As reiterated by the Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar H E Mustafa Goksu, Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was the first foreign head of state to call President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express solidarity in the aftermath of Turkey’s abortive coup in 2016. The Ambassador praised this gesture saying, “Turkey and the Turkish people will never forget Qatar’s strong support,” as they marked five years since the ill-fated coup.
“After five years with many challenges, our bilateral relations have successfully reached an excellent level,” Goksu told a press briefing.
Another critical element of the Turkey-Qatar relationship is that it has been through several challenges and has managed to wade through unscathed. After the unjust blockade against Qatar in 2017, Turkey swiftly mobilized aid to Qatar in Qatar’s time of need. The Turkish government sent over approximately 4,000 tonnes of food supplies to Qatar amidst the crisis to help avert blockade-induced food shortages. During that period, Turkish military presence in Qatar increased to around 3,000 soldiers and military personnel.
Turkey’s exports to Qatar increased to $1.1bn in 2018 from $650m the previous year. That is, the annual increase was 69%. Turkish imports from Qatar increased by 27%, from $264m to $335m, during the same period.
The amount of total Turkish investments in Qatar are worth $17bn, and they have increased further during the preparations for the football World Cup in 2022. Meanwhile, Qatari investments in Turkey have reached $22bn. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Qatar signed a $15bn swap agreement in mid-2020, which extended a further helping hand to lighten Turkish economic burdens.
The increasingly close cooperation between Turkey and Qatar is rooted in mutual interests. Both parties continue to explore new opportunities for collaboration, coordination, and increasing the joint workspaces that would contribute to achieving stability and prosperity.
