Turkey and Qatar sign mutual defence agreement in Istanbul
Erdogan says the pact adds "a new dimension" to ties with Doha, after Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended COP31 in southern Turkey.
Turkey and Qatar signed a mutual defence agreement in Istanbul on Friday, the Turkish presidency said, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
"A mutual defence agreement signed by Turkiye and Qatar today will add a new dimension to the brotherly ties between the two countries," Erdogan said during the meeting, according to the statement from his office.
Arab News reported the signing as a mutual defence agreement reached after the Istanbul meeting, and like Dawn, which carried Erdogan's remarks, it gave no account of what the pact commits either country to. No text of the agreement was published in the reports, and it was not stated who signed it on Qatar's behalf or whether the Qatari authorities issued a statement of their own.
The Emir travelled to Istanbul after attending the COP31 United Nations climate summit in southern Turkey, Dawn reported. The summit is being held in Turkey, and the Qatari ruler's stop in Istanbul followed his attendance there.
Both reports described Turkey and Qatar as regional allies, a relationship Erdogan said the new agreement would deepen. Dawn quoted him calling the ties between the two countries "brotherly".
The Turkish presidency announced the agreement in a statement issued after the two leaders met. Neither report said when the agreement would take effect, whether it requires parliamentary approval in either country, or what military obligations it creates.
Romania says drones struck three ships near Sulina canal
Prime Minister Luca Niculescu called the strikes a violation of international law and said fighter jets scrambled twice. No injuries were reported.
Spain's Canary Islands record 1,488 arrivals in one day
Twelve boats landed on El Hierro alone, and the island council has declared a social emergency after more than 8,000 arrivals in five weeks.
EU leaders name five states to represent Europe in Ukraine talks
Latvia's Andris Kulbergs tells AFP Moscow is in no position to demand a new security framework, as EU leaders in Dublin settle who negotiates with Russia.
Tens of thousands march across Portugal over housing costs
Protesters in more than 30 cities demanded caps on rent rises and protection for tenants, citing the EU's steepest fall in housing affordability.
Italy fines Meta €805m over access to phone photos
The privacy regulator says the Facebook app did not clearly tell about 20 million Android users it would suggest pictures from their galleries as post ideas.
Hungary recovers $19.5m cash in Orbán-era minister probe
The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office says the money was hidden in forests, farm buildings and a safe during a bribery investigation into Miklós Seszták.
Guterres presses climate finance pact as COP31 opens in Antalya
The UN secretary-general said emissions hit a record in 2025 and set a $300bn annual finance target for 2035, while Nepal pressed for a Himalayan agenda.
UK court convicts two Iranians of spying for Tehran
Prosecutors said the men monitored Iran International journalists for the Revolutionary Guard, and one was convicted over plans for a violent attack.