The 7th meeting of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee will be held in Doha this year, witnessing signing of new bilateral agreements.
Addressing a press conference on the occasion of 98th anniversary of the National Day of the Republic of Turkey, which will be celebrated tomorrow (October 29), Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Qatar H E Dr. Mustafa Gukso said relations between the two countries have made great progress in many areas.
“On November 26, 2020, the 6th meeting of the Turkish-Qatari Supreme Strategic Committee was held in Ankara, co-chaired by H E President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with the aim of further consolidating joint cooperation.”
He said 68 agreements and cooperation protocols have been signed during the Committee’s meetings, held annually since 2015, which made significant contributions to diversifying and deepening our relations.
The Ambassador said relations between Turkey and Qatar are historically strong, solid and diverse. “They have moved from bilateral cooperation to the level of strategic partnership, as they are strategic partners that have been cooperating on many issues at the bilateral, regional and international levels for years.
“Our exceptional relations also show strong signs in the economic and commercial fields. The volume of bilateral trade increased in the last ten years from $340m to $2.24bn. I am sure that these numbers will double in the coming years.”
He said a total of 619 Turkish companies are operating in Qatar in various sectors, especially the construction sector. There are also 182 Qatari companies operating in a wide range of sectors in Turkey.
“As a result of the strengthening of our trade relations, Qatar’s direct investments in Turkey also recorded an increase. The total balance of Qatari investment in Turkey amounted to $33.2bn until the end of 2020, while the levels of Turkey’s direct investments in Qatar amounted to $118m.”
He also congratulated the Qatari people for the completion of a large number of World Cup facilities ahead of schedule. “It is with great pleasure that Turkish construction companies contribute to infrastructure projects in Qatar, which since 2002 have amounted to more than $18 billion.”
He said Turkey-Qatar relations are diverse and comprehensive.
“To strengthen the cultural ties between our two countries, Türkiye Maarif Vakfı (TMV) has reached an agreement with Qatar University (QU) and Lusail University (LU) to grant scholarships to Turkish students for study in Qatar. 30 Turkish students were accredited by Qatar University this year, and 10 by Lusail University to receive bachelor’s degrees in various fields, with a full scholarship after learning the Arabic language.”
The Ambassador noted that Turkey and Qatar are two brotherly countries, with very strong ties.
“These bonds of friendship give us confidence and stability to strengthen this relationship between our two countries.
“We know that Qatar’s stability is part of Turkey’s stability. The stronger Qatar is, the stronger Turkey will be. We are sure that both countries will be on the side of each other in difficult times.”