Turkish defense minister talks military relations with Qatar’s deputy emir

QATAR – Anadolu Agency

Qatari Deputy Emir Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani met with Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli on March 12 in Qatar’s capital Doha, according to Qatar’s official QNA news agency.

According to QNA, the two men reviewed – and discussed means of enhancing – Turkey-Qatar military relations.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2018), which kicked off on March 12 in the Qatari capital.

The deputy emir presided over the launch of the three-day exhibition on Monday in the presence of Qatari Defense Minister Khaled al-Attiyah, Turkish Army Chief-of-Staff Hulusi Akar and several military officials from both countries.

Some 180 companies from more than 60 countries – including 33 Turkish firms – are taking part in the annual event, which is expected to see a number of important maritime-defense deals signed.

Launched in 2008, DIMDEX is considered the region’s largest maritime security exhibition, with a total of $32 billion in deals being signed at the last five exhibitions.

In June of last year, Ismail Demir, Turkish undersecretary for defense industries, told Anadolu Agency that Turkey hoped to employ only domestically-designed defense technologies by the year 2020.