Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar and Indonesia Expected to Sign Defense Industry Cooperation Memorandum

ANKARA (Qudrat Daily) — A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the defense industry sector is expected to be signed between Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Indonesia on Wednesday, October 21. According to the Turkish news agency Anadolu, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler will visit Qatar in this regard. Anadolu, citing information obtained from officials, reported that the Turkish defense minister’s departure for Qatar is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. The proposed memorandum concerns defense industry cooperation among the four countries; however, detailed terms, specific projects, or financial scope have not yet been mentioned.

Qatar’s Plan to Boost Local Defense Production

This development comes at a time when Qatar is preparing to enhance its local defense production capacity. Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha on Monday, October 19, said that a center for defense production in the country will be announced soon, and work is underway in this regard with a regional partner as well as with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

He stated that these efforts include developing local defense production capacity and assessing investment opportunities in defense companies. He also hinted at new partnerships to strengthen the capability to counter ballistic missiles, drones, and cyberattacks, though he did not provide further details. These announcements have not been presented as final terms of the four-country memorandum of understanding.

Previous Defense Cooperation Between Türkiye and Qatar

Türkiye and Qatar have previously signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the defense industry. According to the Qatari Amiri Diwan, the document was concluded in Doha on October 22, 2025, in the presence of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and Türkiye’s Defense Industry Agency.

The theme of the ongoing Global Security Forum in Doha is the future of alliances. Qatar’s official communications office said the three-day forum opened on October 19 and is attended by senior officials and figures from more than 100 countries. The forum is discussing collective security, emerging threats, and prospects for international cooperation.