ANKARA — Turkey and Kuwait signed six cooperation deals aimed at strengthening their countries' ties, including in the fields of defense and diplomacy, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah in Ankara on Tuesday.
Sheikh Meshal, who traveled to Turkey for his first foreign visit to a non-Arab country since taking office in December, was welcomed by Erdogan with a state ceremony.
Following talks between the two leaders and Kuwaiti-Turkish delegations, Erdogan and the Kuwaiti leader oversaw the signing ceremony of six cooperation deals across various fields to strengthen their collaboration, including in diplomatic, defense and trade sectors. Among the deals are a protocol on defense procurement between the two governments and a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic dialogue between the two countries.
The visit, which marks a first since Sheikh Meshal’s predecessor final visit — the late Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah traveled to Istanbul in 2017 — also coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Kuwait.
Speaking on Monday, Turkey’s ambassador to Kuwait, Tuba Nur Sonmez, said the visit came “at a tumultuous time in the region” and that, along with bilateral ties, the two leaders would also discuss the Israel-Hamas war and other regional developments, according to Kuwait’s state-run KUNA News Agency.
The two regional countries aim to increase their trade volume to $1 billion, up from $688 million in 2023, according to official Turkish data.
The trade balance favors Turkey, with Turkish exports to the oil-rich country exceeding $583 million last year.
The Gulf country also signed a $367 million agreement with Baykar, manufacturer of Turkey’s Bayraktar drones, to purchase TB2 armed drones in 2023.
Meanwhile, direct Kuwaiti investments in Turkey reached $1.5 billion in 2024, according to figures from Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK).
