Turkiye enjoys strong and friendly relations with Qatar and co-operation between the two countries has considerably grown over the years in all fields, said Turkish ambassador to Qatar Dr Mustafa Goksu.
Speaking on the occasion of the two-day visit of the TCG Kinaliada Corvette, a ship of the Turkish Navy, to Doha Port, Dr Goksu pointed out that the arrival of this vessel underscores the strong diplomatic and defence relations between Qatar and Turkiye. He noted that TCG Kınalıada arrived in Doha on July 23, and will depart today to resume its trip to other friendly countries, showcasing the advanced achievements of the Turkish defence industry. He explained that this ship is fully made in Turkiye with all its components and elements manufactured in the country.
He noted that the Ada Class Corvette TCG Kınalıada set sail from İzmir in April to mark the 100th anniversary of Turkish-Japanese diplomatic relations and the 134th anniversary of the date the Ottoman frigate Ertugrul set sail for Japan. The mission aims to enhance the visibility of the Turkish Naval Forces, introduce national platforms, and strengthen bilateral relations with the countries to be visited during the four-and-a-half-month voyage.
TCG Kınalıada’s port calls include following countries: Japan, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Somalia, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Jordan. It is set to conduct port visits to 24 ports in 20 different countries.
The ambassador pointed out that “Turkiye has achieved self-sufficiency with a special focus on domestic and national character in its defence industry. While Turkiye’s domestic production rate in the defence industry was below 20% in 2000, it increased to 85% in 2023.”
Accordingly, he saw that co-operation between Qatar and Turkiye in all fields has great potential and a brighter future to enhance the security of both countries and expand mutual investment in key areas. He further stressed that Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition (Dimdex) Conference is an important venue to deepen the co-operation between Turkiye and Qatar. Besides, during the last Dimdex Conference to be held during March 21-23 in Doha, a number of important deals and contracts were made by several Turkish companies that would further cement the already excellent relations with their Qatari counterparts.
Eventually, the ambassador further stressed that Qatar and Turkiye will always stand by each other to enhance their mutual stability and security.
