Qatar’s Amir visit of great importance, says senior Turkish official

Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Turkish Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun stressed that H H the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to the Republic of Turkiye is of great importance, especially as it comes in light of regional and international challenges that require joint coordination of the positions of the State of Qatar and Turkiye and many regional and international issues of common interest.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Altun said that the Amir’s presiding over the meetings of the eighth session of the Qatari-Turkish Joint Supreme Strategic Committee adds more importance to the Amir’s visit.

He added that the President of the Republic of Turkiye H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan attaches special importance to strengthening relations with Qatar, and the Amir’s visit is an affirmation of both leader’s keenness to consolidate relations between both countries and enhance coordination on several issues in the interests of the peoples of the region and the Arab and Islamic nations.

Regarding the advanced relations between the two countries in various fields, Altun affirmed that despite the historical deep-rooted Qatari-Turkish relations, they have developed a lot and witnessed a qualitative leap over the past 20 years. In this regard, he noted the establishment of the Joint Supreme Strategic Committee between Qatar and Turkiye in 2014 as a main tool for high-level coordination between them.

He underlined that the Supreme Strategic Committee, which is held annually, contributes to the development of bilateral relations strategically and plays an important role in building an institutional path that guarantees fortifying previous achievements, as well as making ideal achievements in all fields, especially with regard to regional security and defence, and strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

On future plans to develop strategic relations between the two countries, Altun affirmed that Qatar and Turkiye are working continuously to develop strategic relations in various fields. He also noted to the coordination and cooperation in media and journalism between media institutions in Qatar and their Turkish counterpart.

He pointed out that President Erdogan encourages Turkish institutions to strengthen and intensify cooperation with Qatar at all levels, pointing out that during the meeting of the Supreme Strategic Committee, a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding will be signed in many fields.

Altun added that Qatar and Turkiye play an important role in solving many issues around the world, and the two countries share the same principles of foreign policy, in terms of activating mediation and diplomacy and adopting dialogue as a basis for resolving disputes between different parties. In this regard, he said that they appreciate the efforts of the State of Qatar to bring peace to Afghanistan, as well as its diplomatic efforts in negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file.

In response to a question about economic cooperation between the two countries, Altun said that the close relations and cooperation between the Qatar and Turkiye were reflected in the volume of mutual trade and investment, which is confirmed by the statistics, as there are 767 Turkish companies in various sectors in Qatar. The volume of trade between the two countries amounted to about $1.8 billion in 2021. About 200 Qatari companies operate in important sectors in Turkiye, he added.

Altun pointed out that Qatar is one of the most important foreign investors in Turkiye in many sectors, especially in tourism and real estate, noting that Qatar’s direct investments in Turkiye have increased significantly reaching $33.2 billion. He added that the Qatari private sector and its Turkish counterpart will continue to work to increase cooperation and activate more partnerships that benefit the economy of the two brotherly countries.

He added that Qatari investments have a prominent presence in many sectors in Turkiye, especially in the sectors of trade, tourism, agriculture, hospitality, real estate, food industries and other important fields, and these Qatari investments are an indication of confidence in the safe investment environment in Turkiye.

On future plans to take advantage of Qatar’s location and its distinct capabilities in establishing Turkish production and export lines from Qatar to international markets, Altun said that free zones in Qatar provide a competitive environment for investors, and there are ongoing consultations between the relevant authorities to cooperate. He pointed out that increasing Turkish investments in Qatar would create new job opportunities, develop industry and services in Qatar, and increase economic diversification and non-oil and gas revenues.

Altun praised Qatar as host of the FIFA World Cup 2022, especially as the first country in the Middle East. He also expressed confidence that millions of people around the world will watch an exceptional tournament which will be a great opportunity for promoting Qatar and the region.