DOHA: A joint statement has been issued between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkey, on the occasion of the 10th session of the Qatari-Turkish Supreme Strategic Committee, which was held under the chairmanship of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani andPresident of the sisterly Republic of Turkey HE Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Thursday, in the capital Ankara.
The following is the text of the statement:
The 10th session of the Supreme Strategic Committee between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkey was held on November 14, 2024, in the Turkish capital, Ankara, under the chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, and HE President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey, with the participation of Their Excellencies the ministers responsible for the areas of cooperation stipulated in the joint agreement signed on December 19, 2014, regarding the establishment of the Supreme Strategic Committee.
This session, which was held in a spirit of cooperation and brotherhood, once again reflected the strong historical ties, distinguished relations and mutual understanding between the two countries, as well as the common desire to strengthen their partnership in various fields.
The Supreme Strategic Committee praised the efforts of the two countries’ foreign ministers in coordinating and preparing for the Supreme Strategic Committee’s sessions, and for preparing for the tenth session.
It also welcomed the meeting of their Preparatory Committee held on November 14, in Ankara, as well as the preparatory meeting held at the senior officials level on September 16 and November 8-12 2024, in Ankara.
The two sides praised the success of the Supreme Strategic Committee as the highest institutional mechanism for cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkey, and its contribution to strengthening the exceptional relations between the two countries, as this year marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Committee.
The Committee reviewed the progress made in the areas of cooperation referred to in the outcome documents of the ninth session, and expressed its satisfaction with the level of existing cooperation. The two sides expressed their satisfaction with the signing of more than 100 cooperation documents within the framework of the previous nine sessions.
Turkey commended Qatar's successful presidency of the 45th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and expressed its gratitude to the Qatari presidency for its valuable contributions to strengthening Turkey-GCC cooperation. In this context, both sides expressed their satisfaction with the achievements made in Turkey-GCC relations during the Qatari presidency, including the participation of HE Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey, in the 44th Gulf Summit held in Doha on December 5, 2024 as a guest of honor. The results of the 6th Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Turkey-GCC Supreme Strategic Committee held on June 9 in Doha and the resumption of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Türkiye and the Council were also reviewed.
Regarding trade, finance, investment and energy, the statement explained that taking into account the potential of the two countries’ economies and emphasizing the common goal of reaching a trade volume of $5 billion in the near future, the two sides agreed to explore new opportunities to expand and diversify their trade and economic relations, and also affirmed their desire to enhance cooperation in the field of economy and finance existing in public-private partnerships and exchange of expertise between institutions and business communities in line with the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Ministry of Finance of the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance of the Republic of Turkey.
The two sides expressed their satisfaction with the holding of the first session of the Qatari-Turkish Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee in Istanbul on February 8, 2024, and agreed to follow up on the decisions and activities contained in the signed protocol, and to bring the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement into force as soon as possible, which will contribute to strengthening trade, economic and investment relations between Qatar and Turkey.
Qatar and Turkey also expressed their readiness to hold meetings of the Joint Economic Committee with the aim of enhancing the necessary momentum for developing bilateral economic relations.
In the context of encouraging business activities within the Qatari-Turkish Business Council, the two sides agreed to increase participation in events and trade fairs and facilitate trade promotion standards between them.
The two sides welcomed the organization of the first round of negotiations on the Turkey-GCC Free Trade Agreement, which was held from July 29 to 31, 2024 in Ankara, and stressed the importance of concluding this agreement to enhance economic relations between Qatar and Turkey, as well as between Turkey and the GCC, and stressed their support for the rapid completion of the negotiations. They agreed to improve cooperation in the field of energy and bilateral trade in liquefied natural gas, in particular, by encouraging relevant companies to enter into long-term LNG sales and purchase agreements.
Regarding cooperation in the field of culture and education, the two sides stressed their desire to enhance cooperation and exchange of experiences in the cultural and educational fields at the bilateral level within the framework of relevant international organizations, in particular, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and agreed to activate cultural, artistic and folkloric activities and events that reflect the rich culture and history of the two countries, with the aim of expanding the horizon of cultural harmony between the peoples of the two brotherly countries.
In this context, the two sides also praised the efforts made in organizing exhibitions and mutual activities that embody the history and culture with common characteristics and which constitute a fundamental pillar in consolidating cultural diplomacy between the two countries, and stressed the importance of activities organized under the auspices of cultural centers and exhibitions in related fields, and agreed to cooperate in the fields of protecting, preserving and restoring cultural heritage, and to support the exchange of technical knowledge, expertise and experts, and organizing meetings and training programs.
Theyalso expressed their readiness to develop cooperation in the field of education, within the framework of the cooperation agreement signed between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on December 2, 2015, and agreed to open Turkish educational centers in the State of Qatar to enhance educational relations between the two countries. The Qatari side expressed its readiness to allocate lands or buildings with suitable conditions to the Turkish side that can be used as Turkish educational centers, and to provide scholarships for language courses, higher education and scientific research for Turkish students, taking into account the need in this regard.
The two sides discussed the aspirations to conclude negotiations for the implementation of the joint scholarship program through potential contributions from the Qatar Development Fund and the Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities, and stressed the importance of providing the opportunity for students residing in conflict-affected and deprived countries in the Islamic world to study at Turkish universities, through the joint scholarship program.
Regarding cooperation in the field of media and communications, the two sides affirmed their readiness to further develop cooperation in public diplomacy, media, communications and broadcasting between the two countries on the basis of mutual benefit, and expressed their desire to exchange information and experiences as well as best practices, and called for holding meetings, seminars, workshops, training courses and conferences in order to enhance the exchange of visits between officials and experts in the above-mentioned fields.
Regarding cooperation in the field of public health, the two sides affirmed their readiness to cooperate in all areas of health issues, and expressed their satisfaction with the cooperation and solidarity in the field of health and support for the Palestinians in the context of the Gaza crisis, and indicated that they will exchange experiences regarding health information systems and health services in emergency and disaster situations, and agreed to encourage participation in health exhibitions and enhance high-level visits. Regarding
cooperation in the field of youth and sports, the two sides explained that the Executive Program between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Republic of Turkey in the fields of youth and sports for the years (2025-2026) constitutes a "concrete legal framework for enhancing cooperation in this field."
In the field of labour and employment, the two sides expressed their satisfaction with the existing cooperation and coordination in the fields of labor and employment, and reaffirmed their desire to further enhance this cooperation in accordance with the agreement signed on April 1, 1986, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Labor Cooperation between the Ministry of Labor of the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey signed on November 4, and stressed the importance of holding the fourth meeting of the Joint Committee emanating from the agreement, and the first meeting of the Joint Committee based on the Memorandum of Understanding.
Regarding cooperation in the field of defence, the two sides stressed the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, and expressed their strong will and determination to explore new opportunities in this field. They also agreed to develop future cooperation activities through defense industry exhibitions, conferences, workshops and bilateral visits organized in both countries.
The Qatari authorities will coordinate the participation of Qatari defense industry companies in the upcoming International Defense Industries Exhibition, which will be held in Istanbul from July 22 to 27, 2025.
In the field of cooperation in the field of research and innovation, the two sides expressed, in their joint statement, their satisfaction with the level of cooperation in the field of science and technology development, indicating that based on the existing cooperation frameworks established during the ninth meeting of the Supreme Strategic Committee, they look forward to continuing to work on developing key technologies together and upgrading their production capabilities through integrated production solutions.
As a further step in this regard, the two sides expressed their desire to hold the Industrial Integration Forum in late 2024, to lay the foundations for a structured approach to enhance cooperation in key enabling technologies as well as strategic sectors.
Regarding security cooperation, the two sides expressed their desire to increase their cooperation in the field of training law enforcement and security forces and the required areas in accordance with the "Security Cooperation Protocol in Education and Training" signed on December 2, 2015, and the "Security Cooperation Agreement" signed on December 25, 2001, noting that in addition, the two countries will work together to organize meetings for the purpose of exchanging knowledge and supporting training programs and projects.
The joint statement noted that in this regard, Qatar and Turkey may conduct short- and long-term programs and projects to provide support in the areas of security such as (training, technical support, assistance, etc.) through the contact points of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Interior in the State of Qatar and its counterpart in the Republic of Turkey and through bilateral meetings of the Qatari-Turkish Joint Security Committee, with the aim of exchanging experiences and strengthening the institutional and police capacities of police organizations.
Regarding development, humanitarian and relief cooperation, the Turkish side, as the host of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in 2011, commended all the efforts made by the State of Qatar in hosting the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which was held in Doha from March 5 to 9, 2023, and its financial contribution of 60 million US dollars, of which 10 million dollars were allocated to support the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action and 50 million dollars to help build resilience in least developed countries.
It pointed out that the conference provided a valuable opportunity to discuss and build effective plans and partnerships that would help least developed countries overcome the challenges they face, meet their needs and priorities, and support their efforts to realize the right to development and achieve the sustainable development goals over the next decade.
Qatar and Turkey, as co-chairs of the Group of Friends of the Least Developed Countries in the United Nations, renewed their continued support for sustainable development efforts in least developed countries. In this context, the State of Qatar commended the Republic of Turkey for establishing the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries in 2018, expressing its interest in exploring opportunities to enhance its cooperation with the Bank in line with the Doha Programme of Action.
In the field of disaster management, the statement said that, recognizing the importance of cooperation in the field of humanitarian relief, the two sides decided to enhance existing cooperation in this field, where they agreed in this regard to sign an agreement to establish an effective framework for cooperation in the field of humanitarian assistance and relief activities for third countries in need, and stressed the importance of providing safe, uninterrupted and continuous supplies of humanitarian assistance to those in need in third countries.
On the environment and climate change, the two sides acknowledged the importance of addressing environmental challenges and combating climate change and giving priority to these issues in their national policies. They expressed their desire to enhance their cooperation to preserve the environment and combat climate change, especially on a bilateral basis as well as on international platforms without prejudice to the rights and obligations of the agreements to which either side is a party. They also stressed the importance of sustainable practices and their commitment to promoting joint initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions and enhancing climate resilience. They agreed to closely cooperate in promoting environmental sustainability initiatives and practices to advance the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and enhance innovation and resource efficiency, including the “Zero Waste” initiative.
On regional and international issues, the two countries expressed satisfaction with the high-level dialogue, cooperation and coordination on regional and international issues, expressing mutual appreciation for the active mediation efforts of both countries to promote peace and reconciliation efforts in some of the ongoing and complex conflicts in the world, as well as their effective leadership in other initiatives aimed at achieving these goals, and expressed their dedication to deepening dialogue in this vital area, committed to strengthening bilateral cooperation through continuous consultations and active mediation to address common challenges.
Thetwo sides also expressed their grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, condemned the indiscriminate targeting of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and renewed their call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, as well as full compliance with international law and all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and reiterated their commitment to the independence of the State of Palestine on the borders of June 4, 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital, to ensure a just and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution.
The two sides condemned the illegal measures of the Israeli occupation aimed at undermining the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); stressed the mandate granted by the United Nations to UNRWA and the need to continue its role and responsibilities, which represent a top political and humanitarian priority and constitute an element of stability in the region; and called for providing consistent support to UNRWA to enable it to continue providing essential services to refugees from the State of Palestine, especially in light of the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
The two sides also condemned Israel's violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity by launching a ground attack that resulted in the displacement of more than one million people. They affirmed their full solidarity with Lebanon, its government and people, and held Israel responsible for this dangerous escalation that threatens Lebanon's security and stability. They stressed the need for Israel to immediately stop the attacks and withdraw from Lebanese territory to prevent a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. They stressed the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), and expressed their deep concern over the deliberate attacks launched by the Israeli armed forces on UNIFIL forces.
In their joint statement, Qatar and Turkey stressed the importance of coordinating their efforts to prevent the spread of violence in the region and achieve a permanent and sustainable solution to the conflict in Syria in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254, stressing the importance of combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations in Syria, and calling on the international community to maintain the budget for humanitarian relief aid to Syria, in light of the wave of migration from Lebanon to Syria.
The two sides stressed the strategic importance of Iraq for achieving security, stability and prosperity in our region, and renewed their support for the Iraqi government in its efforts towards development, reconstruction and reintegration with the countries of the region. In this context, Qatar and Turkey stressed the importance of the Development Road Project in Iraq. The two countries also expressed their solidarity and support for Iraq in the fight against terrorism, especially against the terrorist organizations of the Kurdistan Workers' Party and ISIS, which pose a threat to stability and security not only for Iraq but for the entire region.
The two sides affirmed their strong commitment to Libya's sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity, stressing their common will to work together to support a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process under the auspices of the United Nations. They also noted the importance they attach to maintaining and strengthening calm on the ground, which is essential for the continuation of the political process, as well as Libya's stability and security. They stressed the importance of holding free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections nationwide with the broadest possible participation, in order to ensure lasting stability in Libya.
The Qatari-Turkish Joint High Committee also stressed the importance of preserving Yemen's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and affirmed its support for diplomatic efforts to help end the conflict in Yemen and reach a lasting political settlement. The two sides expressed their concern about the negative repercussions of developments in the Middle East on Yemen, and urged all parties to continue to engage constructively in the diplomatic efforts led by the United Nations and work towards a permanent truce and a political process to end the war through national reconciliation and dialogue, based on the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, including resolution 2216 (2015), the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, and the outcomes of the comprehensive
