How Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia are deepening defence ties
Experts say conflicts and uncertainty are accelerating efforts to strengthen regional military capacity.
The ‘Badr’ project agreement was signed in the Qatari capital, Doha, between Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkiye on October 21, 2026 [Handout/Turkish Defence Ministry via Al Jazeera]
By Caolán Magee
Published On 21 Oct 202621 Oct 2026
Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia signed a deal on Wednesday to deepen their defence industry cooperation, reflecting a broader effort by countries in the region to widen their network of security partners amid the prolonged US-Israel war with Iran.
The four countries signed the memorandum of understanding in Doha, building on existing military projects through joint production, technology transfers and more closely integrated supply chains.
The initiative comes as the failure of the United States and Iran to reach a concrete peace agreement pushes countries in the region to diversify their defence partnerships and look beyond what experts described as an overreliance on Washington for their security. But they stress that closer cooperation does not mean abandoning long-standing alliances…….
NATO has expanded from 12 founding members in 1949 to 32 members today. The alliance’s enlargement accelerated after the Cold War with the inclusion of former Warsaw Pact nations. Finland and Sweden joined in 2023-2024 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
