One of Türkiye’s leading defense industry institutions, Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE), has taken a major step toward deepening its cooperation with Qatar by forming a strategic partnership with Barzan Holding. The agreement was signed during the DIMDEX Defense Exhibition held in Doha, marking a new phase in the growing defense relationship between the two countries. The partnership builds upon a comprehensive cooperation protocol signed last year and aims to ensure long-term, sustainable collaboration through the establishment of a joint company.

The signing ceremony was attended by high-level officials from both nations, underlining the strategic importance of the agreement. Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of National Defense Musa Heybet, Head of the Presidency of Defence Industries Haluk Görgün, and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Şeyh Saud bin Abdurrahman bin Hasan bin Ali Al Sani were present at the ceremony. The agreement was officially signed by MKE General Manager İlhami Keleş and Barzan Holding CEO Mohammed Al Sadah.

Under the memorandum of understanding, a new joint venture company will be established in Qatar. Through this partnership, Qatar will gain explosive material production capabilities along with critical technology transfer from MKE. This move is expected to significantly enhance Qatar’s domestic defense manufacturing capacity while institutionalizing defense cooperation between the two strategic partners.

A key highlight of the agreement is the inclusion of the TOLGA Close-In Air Defense System in the Qatari Armed Forces inventory. Developed by MKE engineers with the vision of being “Effective, Simple, and Cost-Efficient,” TOLGA achieved its first export success with this deal. The system is designed to counter modern battlefield threats such as mini and micro UAVs, tactical drones, loitering munitions, and cruise missiles.

Equipped with integrated radar and jammer systems, TOLGA provides effective protection for critical infrastructure including refineries, airports, military bases, and ports. It can also be deployed to safeguard naval platforms and mobile convoys. Additionally, MKE-developed particulate anti-drone ammunition creates an optimized “metal cloud” around targets, neutralizing threats with high efficiency. This locally developed, cost-effective solution positions TOLGA as a strong competitor in the global defense market.

Experts emphasize that this strategic joint venture is expected to elevate Türkiye–Qatar defense industry cooperation to a new level and make a meaningful contribution to regional security.