Qatar-Turkey growing amity has consequences for Arab security

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Qatar on July 2 to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.
Relations between Qatar
and Turkey progressed steadily ever since Qatar allowed Turkey to establish
permanent military, political and economic presence in it.
This came hard on the
heels of the eruption of the Gulf crisis, precipitated by Qatar's sponsorship
of terrorism and terrorist groups and its interference in the affairs of Arab
states.
The July 2 visit to Doha was Erdoğan's first since
the outbreak of Covid-19 in his country.
Follower and followed
The visit also gives insights into the nature of relations between
Ankara and Doha. It comes as the two capitals run into one crisis after
another. Turkey suffers tough economic and political crises. It has problems in
its relations with other countries as well.
Economic motives
The problems Turkey is facing featured highly in talks between Qatari
ruler Tamim bin Hamad and Erdoğan.
The two sides signed
a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding during the visit. These
agreements included amendments to a previous agreement between the two states
on currency swap.
Memo
The Qatar Financial Center Authority and the financing office of the
Turkish presidency signed a memorandum of understanding on industrial and
technological cooperation.
The Qatari Investment Promotion Agency signed another memorandum of
understanding with the investment office of the Turkish presidency on civil
planning.
Qatar and Turkey also agreed to establish an agency with the aim of
facilitating trade and boosting consumer protection.
In December 2014, the two countries agreed to establish a higher committee
on strategic cooperation. The committee contains as members a number of
ministries and institutions from the two countries. It aims to enhance common
understanding between Qatar and Turkey.
The office was instrumental in Qatar's decision to pump about $15
billion in Turkey to prop up the country's currency in the face of the economic
sanctions imposed on it by the United States.