Abdullah Bozkurt
Turkey and Qatar have agreed to cooperate on electronic warfare, according to a secret Turkish military document.
The document, prepared in the form of an internal memo by the Turkish General Staff, reveals that Turkey and Qatar decided to cooperate on electronic warfare capabilities. The document, dated June 28, 2016, shows that Turkey had already sent a draft protocol that covered a training and cooperation scheme.
The military memo on electronic warfare (parts that are not related to this article were redacted by Nordic Monitor):
According to the memo, the first draft on cooperation on electronic warfare was submitted to the Turkish side by the Qatari government. The Turkish government updated the terms of the agreement after an inter-agency discussion and sent the new draft to Doha.
The draft was prepared by the Communications, Electronics and Information Systems (MEBS) department of the Turkish General Staff and updated according to input provided by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the the General Staff Operations Directorate, the Foreign Ministry and the military’s force commanders.
The draft was sent to the Foreign Ministry on March 31, 2016 to be conveyed to the Qatari side, the memo noted.
Turkey and Qatar have already entered into a comprehensive military agreement, with the Turkish side establishing a military base in Doha and deploying Turkish land troops there. Turkey plans to add air and naval assets to the base, expanding its presence in the tiny Gulf nation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Qatar on November 25, 2019 and delivered a speech at the Qatar-Turkey Combined Joint Force Command (QTCJFC). He described military, security and defense industry agreements as the backbone of the countries’ bilateral relations and emphasized that Turkey views Qatar’s security as its own security.
A new base was being built for Turkish troops that will accommodate a larger contingent in Doha.
