Qatar deepened its defense partnership with Türkiye through several agreements signed between Qatari entity Barzan Holdings and leading Turkish defense companies.
The five cooperation agreements covered naval platforms, ammunition production, systems engineering and technology sharing, positioning Türkiye as a long-term industrial partner in Qatar’s defense modernization plans.
The two countries sealed the deals at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference in early 2026.
Turkish shipbuilding consortium TAIS and Barzan Holdings signed a $1 billion agreement covering the procurement of two Istif-class frigates. A previous Qatari purchase agreement for two 50-meter fast attack craft culminated in the delivery of the first ship in November 2025.
Equipped with weapons for surface, air and asymmetric warfare, the fast attack ships are designed for patrolling territorial waters, anti-piracy operations, reconnaissance, surveillance, and search and rescue.
The bond between Qatar and Türkiye has grown. In 2015, the Turks opened Tariq bin Ziyad mili-tary base in Qatar, allowing Turkish troops to take part in military operations in the Red Sea, North Africa and the Arabian Gulf.
Qatar is also one of the largest foreign investors in Türkiye. It holds a 10% stake in Borsa Istanbul, the Turkish stock exchange. During Turkish currency volatility, Qatar pledged billions in investment to steady swings in the Turkish lira.
Sources: Aljazeera.com, bairdmaritime.com, defensenews.com, globaldefensecorp.com