Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia Sign Defense Cooperation Agreement

Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia have signed a memorandum of understanding, dubbed "Badr," in the Qatari capital Doha, aimed at boosting cooperation in defense manufacturing, strengthening defense capabilities and advancing collaboration on technical training and research and development. The agreement was announced as the region seeks to broaden its network of security partners.

According to Qatar's Ministry of Defense, the memorandum is intended to create solutions and industries suited to the evolution of modern defense. The agreement builds on existing military projects through joint production, technology transfer and more tightly linked supply chains.

Analysts say each participating country brings its own strengths. Turkey offers technological expertise, systems integration capability and a mature defense industry; Pakistan and Indonesia provide manufacturing capacity, technical manpower and large domestic markets; while Qatar contributes investment potential and demand.

According to Arda Mevlutoglu, a defense industry analyst and chief executive of Mergen Analytical Strategies, the cooperation could create integrated supply chains that allow the four countries to jointly develop, produce and sustain defense systems. He said a network of interlinked defense and security arrangements may be taking shape, stretching from the Gulf to South Asia and Southeast Asia, rather than a single formal alliance.

Albert Vidal, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said Pakistan and Indonesia are both willing to buy Turkish weapons and host some production on their own soil. That could help lower costs for Turkish companies and create jobs in Pakistan and Indonesia, while Qatar provides "financial depth."

The new agreement builds on existing bilateral ties. Turkey, which has one of the world's most advanced defense industries, already has separate military production relationships with Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia. Qatar and Turkey signed a bilateral defense industry memorandum in October 2025.

Vidal said the four-way agreement reflects both strategic and industrial calculations, as closer ties can give more countries a stake in one another's security. He cited Qatar's investment in Turkey's defense industry over more than a decade and Ankara's deployment of forces to Doha during the 2017 diplomatic crisis.

The Pakistan-Turkey naval shipbuilding project illustrates how arms procurement can support domestic production: of four vessels announced, two are to be built in Istanbul and two at the Karachi shipyard. Indonesia and Turkey are also jointly developing a tank.

According to Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the goal is to consolidate separate defense export and coproduction deals into a structured, more resilient hub, rather than starting from scratch with each new agreement.

Analysts say fighting between the US and Israel and Iran, and recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, have heightened concerns about regional security, while reported US weapons shortages may add pressure to shore up existing partnerships and expand domestic arms production capacity.

Mevlutoglu said diversification is the main driver, especially as recent conflicts have exposed vulnerabilities tied to dependence on foreign suppliers, technology restrictions and supply chain disruptions. However, he cautioned against reading the memorandum as a break with Washington: Qatar is unlikely to abandon its strategic relationship with the US, while Turkey is seeking greater technological independence within NATO rather than a departure from it.

According to Bader Mousa Al-Saif, an expert with Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa program and a lecturer at Kuwait University, the initiative reflects Gulf states' growing orientation toward the Global South and Muslim-majority countries.

Analysts say the Doha agreement complements a separate effort to institutionalize regional military cooperation: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, establishing a mutual defense commitment. Turkey has submitted the agreement to parliament for ratification, though deploying troops abroad would require separate parliamentary approval.

The Doha memorandum focuses on industrial cooperation rather than mutual defense commitments, but Mevlutoglu said the two initiatives are linked: if Mecca focuses on collective deterrence and military cooperation, Doha could provide the industrial and technological foundation for those partnerships.