Turkish foreign minister embarks on 2-day trip to Qatar

ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to visit Qatar on Aug. 13-14, according to diplomatic sources.

Fidan’s meetings in Qatar are expected to address the growing strategic partnership between Ankara and Doha in all areas, and new avenues for cooperation in the coming period are expected to be discussed, said the sources.

The meetings are also expected to cover preparations for the 11th session of the High Strategic Committee meeting, scheduled to be held in Doha this year under the chairmanship of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as well as consultations on regional issues, particularly Gaza and Syria.

The latest steps taken by the international community toward the recognition of the State of Palestine are expected to be evaluated during the talks, during which Fidan is expected to reiterate that Türkiye welcomes Qatar's mediation efforts, which are being conducted in collaboration with Egypt and the US to secure a cease-fire in Gaza, and that Ankara is ready to support any constructive initiative.

Fidan’s visit to Qatar is also expected to include discussions on the current state of talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, steps that could be taken to halt Israel’s inhumane attacks on Gaza, and measures to advance the two-state solution.

As the current Chair of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers, Fidan is also expected to exchange views on the upcoming OIC meeting to be convened at Türkiye’s initiative.

During the meetings, Fidan is also expected to assess the joint efforts of Türkiye and Qatar to establish stability and security in Syria and potential cooperation projects that can be implemented together. He is also expected to emphasize the importance of continuing joint efforts to build capacity in Syria and to emphasize that the efforts of certain actors, particularly Israel, to hinder the stabilization of Syria must not be tolerated.

Fidan will be visiting Qatar for the third time this year, following visits on April 27 and Feb. 2-3.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also visited Türkiye earlier this year, attending the 51st Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul in June and the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in April.

Bilateral relations

The High Strategic Committee, which constitutes the highest institutional framework of Türkiye-Qatar relations, has been held annually since 2015 under the co-chairmanship of President Erdogan and Qatari Emir Al Thani, alternating between the two countries as hosts. To date, 10 meetings have been held, resulting in the signing of 107 agreements covering all areas of bilateral cooperation.

The most recent meeting of the High Strategic Committee was held in Ankara on Nov. 14, 2024, while the next session is expected to take place in Doha later this year.

Cooperation between Türkiye and Qatar continues to grow stronger in many fields, including trade, investment, contracting, tourism, and energy.