Turkey and Qatar have signed a mutual defence agreement aimed at strengthening military cooperation and promoting regional security.

The agreement was announced by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after a meeting with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in Istanbul yesterday.

Erdogan said both countries would continue working to prevent renewed conflict in the Gulf region and promote dialogue and peace.

The Turkish presidency also disclosed that the two countries plan to expand cooperation in energy and defence industries, although details of the new military agreement were not immediately released.