Turkish defense chief receives Qatari military head

ANKARA

Turkey's defense minister on Monday received the Qatari Armed Forces chief of staff in the capital Ankara, said the Turkish National Defense Ministry.

After Turkey’s Hulusi Akar welcomed Air Marshal Ghanem Bin Shaheen al-Ghanemin, they exchanged opinions on bilateral and regional defense and security issues, said a ministry statement.

Turkish-Qatari relations have been growing amid cooperation at various levels, as well as harmony in political views on many regional and international issues.

Relations grew stronger at the military level after the 2017 Gulf crisis under a bilateral military cooperation agreement.

Under the agreement, a Turkish military base was established in Qatar and joint exercises were carried out.

Separately, the ministry said, Akar also met with Japanese Ambassador in Ankara Akio Miyaji.