Turkish Presidential Communications Director to QNA: HH the Amir's Visit Is of Great Importance

Ankara, October 13 (QNA) - Turkish Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun stressed that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's visit to the Republic of Turkey is of great importance, especially as it comes in light of regional and international challenges that require joint coordination of the positions of the State of Qatar and Turkey and many regional and international issues of common interest. In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Altun said that HH The Amir's presiding over the meetings of the eighth session of the Qatari-Turkish Joint Supreme Strategic Committee adds more importance to HH the Amir's visit, as this committee constitutes an effective mechanism to enhance partnership and existing strategic relations between the two countries, especially since Qatar and Turkey enjoy a long history of fruitful cooperation relations. He added that HE President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan attaches special importance to strengthening relations with the State of Qatar, and that HH the Amir's visit is an affirmation of His Highness and President Erdogan's keenness to consolidate relations between both countries and enhance coordination on the just issues that the two countries adopt, through which they seek to achieving the interests of the peoples of the region and the Arab and Islamic nations, in a way that contributes to establishing security and peace and solving reginal and international issues via dialogue and diplomacy. Regarding the advanced relations between the two countries in various fields, Altun affirmed that despite the historical deep-rooted Qatari-Turkish relations, they have developed a lot and witnessed a qualitative leap over the past 20 years, serving the common interests of the two brotherly countries and peoples. In this regard, he noted the establishment of the Joint Supreme Strategic Committee between the State of Qatar and Turkey in 2014 as a main tool for high-level coordination between them. He underlined that the Supreme Strategic Committee, which is held annually, contributes to the development of bilateral relations strategically and plays an important role in building an institutional path that guarantees fortifying previous achievements, as well as making ideal achievements in all fields, especially with regard to regional security and defense, and strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the fields of trade, investment, health, energy, aviation, tourism, culture, education and other important sectors. On future plans to develop strategic relations between the two countries, Turkish Presidential Communications Director affirmed that Qatar and Turkey are working continuously to develop strategic relations in various fields, and the two brotherly countries are also focusing, through the concept of complementary partnership, on strengthening their bilateral relations and deepening their cooperation at all levels, based on the strong and sincere will of both leaders, HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and HE President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also noted to the coordination and cooperation in the field of media and journalism between media institutions in the State of Qatar and their Turkish counterpart, considering the media is one of the most important areas that requires strengthening cooperation between the two countries, especially with regard to the training sector, the exchange of media activities and visits between representatives of media institutions and relevant authorities in the two countries. He pointed out that President Erdogan encourages Turkish institutions to strengthen and intensify cooperation with the State of Qatar at all levels, pointing out that during the meeting of the Supreme Strategic Committee, a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding will be signed in many fields, which reflects the common desire of the two countries to move forward towards strengthening integrated strategic partnership. Regarding the joint coordination between the State of Qatar and Turkey on regional and international issues, Turkish Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun told QNA that the world is now going through a critical stage at all levels, and coordination with the sisterly State of Qatar is extremely important in order to contribute to resolving regional and international conflicts. Altun added that the State of Qatar and Turkey play an important role in solving many issues around the world, and the two countries share the same principles of foreign policy, in terms of activating mediation and diplomacy efforts and adopting dialogue as a basis for resolving disputes between different parties. In this regard, he said that they appreciate the efforts of the State of Qatar to bring peace to Afghanistan, as well as its diplomatic efforts in negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file. Turkey, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is also making intensive efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and work to address the humanitarian repercussions of this crisis around the world, he said, adding that these efforts culminated in opening a path under the auspices of Turkey to transport grain from Ukraine to ensure the security of grain exports stuck in Ukrainian ports and contribute to addressing the global food crisis. He also noted Turkey's efforts in the prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, as well as its endeavors to achieve a just peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. About the foreign policy of the State of Qatar and Turkey, he stressed that there is a congruence in the visions and orientations in the foreign policy of the two countries regarding many international events and issues, as the both countries are keen to strengthen regional and global efforts to establish international peace and security, combat terrorism and resolve disputes through dialogue and peaceful means. Qatar and Turkey are working together to strengthen cooperation, solidarity and coordination between them in international and regional forums and organizations, including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). In response to a question about economic cooperation between the two countries, Turkish Presidential Communications Director said that the close relations and cooperation between the State of Qatar and Turkey were reflected in the volume of mutual trade and investment, which is confirmed by the statistics, as there are 767 Turkish companies in various sectors in the State of Qatar, and the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to about $1.8 billion in 2021. About 200 Qatari companies operating in important sectors in Turkey, he added. Altun pointed out that the State of Qatar is one of the most important foreign investors in Turkey, which has become one of the most attractive countries for Qatari capital in many sectors, especially in tourism and real estate, noting that Qatar's direct investments in Turkey have increased significantly, and the total balance of Qatari investments in Turkey has reached $33.2 billion. He also said that Turkey is a distinguished tourism and investment destination for Qataris, adding that the Qatari private sector and its Turkish counterpart will continue to work to increase cooperation and activate more partnerships that benefit the economy of the two brotherly countries. Concerning the incentives and benefits that the Turkish government provides to Qatari investors, he said that Turkey provides many advantages for foreign investors, as the new Economy Model in Turkey focuses on production, investment, employment and export, underlying that Turkey is considered one of the most developed countries in terms of the investment environment, and in this context, it attaches great importance for Qatari businessmen and investors. He also invited Qatari businessmen to invest in Turkey and see the great opportunities, especially in the fields of manufacturing and technology. He added that Qatari investments have a prominent presence in many sectors in Turkey, especially in the sectors of trade, tourism, agriculture, hospitality, real estate, food industries and other important fields, and these Qatari investments are an indication of confidence in the safe investment environment in Turkey. On future plans to take advantage of Qatar’s location and its distinct capabilities in establishing Turkish production and export lines from Qatar to international markets, Altun said that free zones in Qatar provide a competitive environment for investors, and there are ongoing consultations between the relevant authorities in the two countries to cooperate in this field, pointing out that increasing Turkish investments in Qatar would create new job opportunities, develop industry and services in Qatar, and increase economic diversification and non-oil and gas revenues. Concluding his interview with QNA, Turkish Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun praised the comprehensive renaissance achieved by the State of Qatar which qualified it well to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, expressing happiness and excitement for the State of Qatar to host the tournament as the first country in the Middle East. He also expressed confidence that millions of people around the world will watch an exceptional tournament which will be a great opportunity for promoting the State of Qatar and the region. (QNA)