A Turkish delegation is on an official visit to the Qatari capital ahead of a planned visit by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a delegation that included the Vice President of the Republic of Turkiye Cevdet Yilmaz, and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek at the Amiri Diwan in Doha on Saturday.
The delegation in the Qatari capital continued developing discussions on “economy and investment opportunities, an Amiri Diwan statement said.
The meeting come ahead of a planned trip by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Gulf region that will span from July 17-19, Ankara said.
Earlier this month, Reuters had reported that Qatar would be among a trio of nations that would invest a total of 30 billion dollars in energy, infrastructure, and defence sectors through the planned Erdogan visit.
The Turkish government has established a goal of attracting $25 billion in investments from Gulf countries using various methods such as privatisation and acquisitions, officials maintained, according to reports.
Many Western investors had fled after Erdogan’s low interest and inflationary policies, Bloomberg argued. The gap left by these investors is seemingly being filled by Gulf nations who are lending out much-needed foreign exchange to the central bank.
Erdogan has expressed that his new economic team will be responsible for managing inflation, although the Turkish lira has depreciated by more than 20% against the dollar since Simsek assumed office.
Turkiye-Qatar Relations
Qatar and Turkiye have maintained close ties in recent years.
The deepening alliance, which dates back to 2014, has proven resilient and mutually supportive, especially during challenging times. When Erdogan assumed power, the Turkish leader chose Qatar as the first Arab country for an official state visit.
Subsequently, in the following year, Qatar faced an unlawful blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. This blockade encompassed air, land, and sea restrictions, severing diplomatic ties with Qatar.
It was a particularly challenging time for Qatar as the country heavily relied on imports. However, in a swift response, Turkiye promptly dispatched essential supplies such as food, water, and medicine to alleviate Qatar’s predicament.
In December 2019, Qatar and Turkiye jointly inaugurated the Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Base, which served as the new headquarters for their combined military forces in the Gulf state.
This military post currently accommodates a substantial deployment of approximately 5,000 troops. At the time, Erdogan referred to the military base as a symbol representing brotherhood, friendship, solidarity, and sincerity, highlighting the strong bond between the two nations.
More recently, in February, Sheikh Tamim issued an order to establish an air bridge following devastating earthquakes that struck both Turkiye and Syria and inflicted unparalleled destruction in the region over the past century.
To aid in the response efforts, Qatar swiftly dispatched over 120 personnel from the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force, known as Lekhwiya. The death toll climbed to a staggering 50,000, underscoring the urgent need for assistance.
Just a week after the earthquakes, Qatar’s amir traveled to Istanbul, becoming the first world leader to visit Turkiye in the aftermath of the catastrophic seismic events.
During his visit, he met with President Erdogan, solidifying the enduring friendship and support between Qatar and Turkiye in the face of such tragic circumstances.
With relations between Qatar and the former blockading countries now resuming, Turkiye has also launched efforts to repair ties with Saudi Arabia and UAE – a move that is expected to alleviate the pressures on its economy.