Outgoing Ambassador Mustafa Göksu: Türkiye and Qatar are bound by a shared destiny

This text is a question-and-answer summary compiled from the interview Al-Sharq published on 7 September 2026; for the full text, see Al-Sharq.

After six years

What would you like to say as you leave Doha after six years?

He said Doha was his first posting as an ambassador, which is why he saw the mission as a great trust. Over time, he learned that diplomacy is not just meetings and protocol; the real work is earning the trust of the society you live in. He summed up his most valuable gain this way: "I came here to represent my country; today I leave with friends who have become brothers."

The biggest change: mutual trust

What was the most important transformation in relations during your tenure?

He said ties moved from a strong bilateral relationship to a comprehensive, multi-dimensional strategic partnership, expanding beyond politics and the economy into defence, security, education, culture, tourism and media. The most important achievement, he said, was institutionalising this partnership, above all through the Supreme Strategic Committee. Asked to sum it up in a word, his answer would be "mutual trust".

How do you assess cooperation with Qatari institutions?

He thanked Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for their constant support. He singled out Ambassador Ibrahim Fakhro, Director of Protocol at Qatar's Foreign Ministry, saying he would never forget his support, especially during the pandemic.

The leaders and the Supreme Strategic Committee

What stayed with you most from the visits between President Erdoğan and Emir Tamim?

He highlighted the Emir's modesty and reassuring manner, and the warmth of the two leaders' talks, which went beyond the formal agenda. He said the trust at leadership level flows naturally to governments, institutions and peoples, and that he left every summit convinced the relationship was in safe hands.

What has the Supreme Strategic Committee added to the relationship?

He said the committee moved the relationship away from dependence on occasional meetings into an institutional framework that is reviewed regularly. More than 125 agreements have been signed over 11 sessions so far, 67 of them during his tenure. But its real significance, he stressed, lies not in the number of agreements but in turning the two leaders' political will into concrete projects.

Solidarity in hard times

When did you feel the strength of the relationship most?

He recalled that he began his mission during the pandemic and that coordination never stopped. He described how major Turkish companies took part in infrastructure projects for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and how Türkiye provided security and organisational support. He listed Qatar's solidarity, as a state and as a people, after the 2023 earthquake, the intense consultations throughout the war in Gaza, the helicopter crash in Qatar and the passing of the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, as moments that showed the human depth of the relationship. "The strength of alliances is tested not in times of plenty, but in crises," he said.

Peace and mediation

How do you see the role of Türkiye and Qatar in Gaza, Syria and Afghanistan?

He said the two countries share the view that the region's crises cannot be solved by the language of force or by solutions imposed from outside. In Gaza, Türkiye fully supports the mediation Qatar is conducting together with Egypt and the United States; the shared goal is an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. He said their positions coincide on Syria's territorial integrity and reconstruction, and that they work together on Afghanistan and on dialogue between Kabul and Islamabad. When Qatar's mediation experience is combined with Türkiye's regional weight, he said, their impact multiplies — and both reject turning the region, including its strategic straits, into a permanent battleground.

Joint production in defence

How did military ties progress all the way to the defence industry?

He said the relationship moved from training and joint exercises to a comprehensive defence partnership built on developing shared capabilities. The key change, he stressed, was the shift from a buyer-seller relationship over equipment to joint development and production. He cited Qatari investment in Türkiye's defence industry, cooperation between Barzan Holdings and major Turkish defence firms, the R&D and technology-transfer partnership with Türkiye's Defence Industry Agency, and the goal of entering third-country markets together. He also recalled the 11th committee session in October 2025 and cooperation on the Eurofighter Typhoon. He underlined that this cooperation is not directed against any regional or international party.

The economy: a $5 billion target

Where do economic relations stand?

He said more than 1,000 Turkish companies operate in Qatar and around 250 Qatari companies in Türkiye. He described the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), covering trade in goods, services and investment, as a strategic leap. He considers the target of $5 billion in trade and mutual investment realistic, sees major opportunities in technology, advanced industry, energy, food security and the digital economy, and said the next step should be joint investment in third countries.

Education, culture and tourism

How have ties between the two peoples developed?

He said partnerships were built with Qatar University, Lusail University, the University of Doha for Science and Technology and Qatar Foundation, and that more than 100 students have benefited from scholarship and study programmes. He counted the training of Turkish diplomats at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and the new Turkish school project for the growing Turkish community among the achievements he is proudest of. Many Qataris see Türkiye as a second home, he said, while the number of Turkish tourists visiting Doha during holidays has also grown.

Qatari society and the World Cup

What struck you most about Qatari society?

He said the first word that describes Qatari society is "generosity", and its highest value "loyalty". The majlis, he explained, is not just a meeting place but a school of respect and hospitality. Noting that these values match those of the Turkish people, he said what he takes home from Qatar in his suitcase is his relationships with people and fond memories.

What did the 2022 World Cup add to Qatar's international standing?

He called the tournament a historic moment not only for Qatar but for the whole region and the Islamic world. Qatar answered those who doubted a Middle Eastern country could pull off such an event with action, he said, and its real legacy was breaking the world's stereotypes about the region.

The future and farewell

How do you see the future of relations, and what is your advice to your successor?

He said he is optimistic and expects new leaps in the defence industry, advanced technology, energy, education and tourism, but that the real investment must be in young people, academics and entrepreneurs. He expressed confidence that his successor, who knows Arabic and the region well, will carry the mission forward in the same spirit of trust, respect and brotherhood. In his farewell, he said he hopes to return to Doha one day without any official title — as a friend missing his second home.

Cover photo: Doha, West Bay — P. Hughes / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0