ANKARA, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, and Indonesia signed an agreement on Wednesday to boost defence cooperation and strengthen defensive capabilities, the Turkish Defence Ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry said the countries signed the "Badr Memorandum of Understanding" in Doha as a sign of their desire to further deepen cooperation and develop partnerships.
"The agreement holds substantial economic importance," it said, adding the accord sought to foster cooperation in military production, boost military capabilities, and help collaboration in technical military training, research and development.
"By leveraging the unique military production capabilities of each country, the initiative will facilitate cooperation and integration, enhance defense industrial capacities, and enable the fulfillment of the needs of allied and friendly nations," it added.
Turkey, which has NATO's second-largest army and a robust defence industry, has been helping Gulf nations, including Qatar, where it has a military base, bolster their defences amid the Iran war.
In August, it signed a mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, under which an attack on one party constitutes an attack on all. Ankara also has close ties with Indonesia, notably in the defence industry.
The ministry said the Badr accord would strengthen ties between the countries' defence industries and bolster collaboration to promote security and achieve shared objectives.
Haluk Gorgun, the chairman of Turkey's Defence Industry Presidency, said the accord formed the foundation of a "strategic cooperation" to develop joint production and technology.
"Technology sharing, joint development and strengthening domestic production capabilities lie at the heart of sustainable defence industry. As Turkey, we value partnerships that go beyond off-the-shelf procurement models, that foster the development of a nation’s own human capital and industrial infrastructure," Gorgun said in a statement.
"We believe that the Badr Memorandum of Understanding will contribute to transforming the complementary capabilities of Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Turkey into concrete projects," he added.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by William Maclean)
