Turkey Doubles Down on De-Facto Alliance With Qatar

Turkey Doubles Down on De-Facto Alliance With Qatar
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during a ceremony, Doha, Qatar, Dec. 2, 2015 (AP/Presidential Press Service photo by Yasin Bulbul).

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s trip to Qatar two weeks ago was his second to the tiny oil- and gas-rich Arab state since he was elected Turkey’s president last year. The visit was significant because it inaugurated the first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting between the two countries, a mechanism created last year to deepen bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors.

During Erdogan’s visit, 16 separate agreements were signed for everything from education and maritime affairs to travel and energy. Some of the agreements—such as cooperation on archives, credential recognition in the maritime industry and public finance management—were technical in nature. Others, such as a security training protocol and a deal to boost energy ties, were high-level and short on detail. Nevertheless, the visit was significant because it institutionalized Turkey and Qatar’s bilateral cooperation, while sending several strategic signals about what has become a de-facto alliance.

There has been an unprecedented level of coordination between Ankara and Doha on regional foreign policy matters in recent years. The two states have taken a strong stance against Israel’s blockade of Gaza; opposed the military-backed coup against the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt; and have been vociferous opponents of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Underscoring this common front is their support of Islamist factions across the region, chief among them the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliated organizations.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review