Doha, 21 October. The defence ministers of Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan and Indonesia's deputy defence minister signed the Badr memorandum in Doha to strengthen defence cooperation, Turkey's Ministry of National Defence said.
The document was signed by Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler, Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hasan Al Thani, Indonesian Deputy Defence Minister Yusuf Jauhari and Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif; the ceremony was also attended by Haluk Gorgun, head of Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industries. The name Badr means "full moon." The memorandum provides for cooperation in military production, strengthening military capabilities, joint technical military training, and research and development.
According to the Turkish ministry, the document also has an economic purpose: the countries are combining their military production and strengthening their defence industries to meet the needs of allied and friendly states. Ankara expects the memorandum to expand military cooperation among the participants and link their defence industries.
On the same day it emerged that Turkey is preparing to send military personnel to Saudi Arabia under a three-way defence pact with Riyadh and Islamabad: as Reuters reported, citing an MP from the ruling Justice and Development Party, once the agreement is ratified parliament will be presented with a document authorising the deployment of a Turkish contingent. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August; like Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, it treats an attack on one member as an attack on all. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on 12 October that the agreement would be sent to parliament for ratification in the coming days. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, however, ruled out Turkish participation in offensive operations: "Turkey will not send troops to another country to carry out attacks on its territory."
What it means: Turkey is taking part in two new defence groupings at once: the Badr memorandum on joint military production with Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia, and the Mecca pact on mutual defence with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, under which the dispatch of Turkish troops to the Saudis is being prepared.
Who benefits: The Turkish Defence Ministry stresses the economic benefit of the memorandum: combined military production will strengthen the participants' defence industries. Saudi Arabia, which is under attack from Yemen's Houthis, may get Turkish troops, but, according to Fidan, only for defence. Pakistan takes part in both groupings.
Background: Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August 2026, a few weeks before the Houthis began attacking Saudi Arabia.
List of sources used: Anadolu, Jas Alash, Al-Monitor, Internazionale, The Star
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
