Military cooperation agreement between Turkey, Qatar takes affect

A military cooperation agreement permitting the deployment of Turkish troops in Qatar has gone into effect Monday.

According to the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, the military cooperation agreement signed by Turkey and Qatar in December 2014 was published in the Official Gazette on Monday.

The agreement outlines intelligence sharing between Qatar and Turkey as well as military cooperation and the deployment of forces in each other's territory. Both countries will exchange operational training experiences, cooperate in defense industries and hold joint military exercises.

The agreement also allows Turkey and Qatar the use of each other's ports, airports and air space. Turkey and Qatar have also agreed to cooperate in fighting terrorism.

Turkey already has military cooperation agreements with a number of countries, although none of the previous agreements has an article that enables the deployment of Turkish forces. Therefore, this new part of the military accord between Turkey and Qatar has aroused international interest.

According to Turkish military sources, close military cooperation with Qatar will help Turkey counter Iranian influence in the region and boost Turkey's role in global security and global energy security.

The agreement is also considered a good opportunity by Turkish defense industry firms to increase their presence in the lucrative Qatari defense market.