Defense and Security Extent of Qatar-Saudi Arabia Crisis
2017-07-27
On Qatar News Agency's website, a statement on behalf of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani was published on May 24th. In his statement, Al Thani identified Iran as an "Islamic power" and noted that relations with Israel is at a good level. Qatari Government denied the news immediately and stated that the website of the news agency had been hacked and that this statement had been posted illicitly.
The statement, however, caused a rapidly growing crisis in Qatar's relations with other Gulf countries: Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia blocked publications of Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based news agency. Subsequently, Saudi Arabia and UAE called their ambassadors back from Qatar. On the other hand, UAE and Saudi Arabia stated that Qatar supports radical islamist terrorist organizations and that it threatens the regional stability: Al-Ittihad, a newspaper published in UAE, featured a statement of Kahlifa Haftar who claimed that Qatar had financed terrorists and mercenaries in Libya. Another UAE newspaper Al Bayan claimed that Qatar is the financier of Muslim Brotherhood and Al Khaleej, a UAE newspaper, alleged that Iran encouraged Qatar to leave Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Other media outlets in the Gulf countries also launched an intensive broadcast campaign on Qatar.
Qatar's policy on Iran and Muslim Brotherhood constituted a major tension with other Gulf countries, notably with Saudi Arabia. Hence, the fact that the statement had been published illicitly was not a topic that was very much highlighted throughout the crisis. The statement reawakened the tension that had been swept under the carpet for a long time. In this, competition between the Gulf countries plays an important role.
Iran's agreement with the West on its nuclear program and the use of the gap that emerged in the region following the withdrawal of the US from Iraq have provided it with a psychological advantage to pursue a much more aggressive policy in the Middle East. Consequently Lebanon, Syria and Yemen started to make more active and concrete moves by using this self-confidence. In this context, it can be argued that the Gulf countries have aimed to diversify their strategic alliances and supports with a "risk spreading" approach. Along with conventional ally USA, relations with various levels and scopes are being developed with countries such as France, Germany, United Kingdom and even with Russia, South Africa, China and South Korea. One of the most important things in these relations, alongside of region's energy, is defense which is its eternal foreign policy instrument.
The most important countermeasure that Qatar has taken against the Iran threat is its deepening relations with Turkey. One of the most important pillars of Qatar-Turkey relations, which grows rapidly in finance and trade, is defense and security.
Qatar's Military Modernization
In order to modernize its armed forces, Qatar has been carrying out an extensive project especially in the past 10 years much like other Gulf countries. Even though there are more American companies and products in procurement programs, it is noteworthy that the country has recently started to procure systems from different countries. Turkey has started to stand out as one of these new sources.
With its nearly 10 thousand employees, Qatar Armed Forces' equipments, training and doctrine was under the British influence for a long time. This has changed since the 1980s, with France increasing its presence. In 2000s, German products and systems began to enter Qatar quickly. Turkey has been added to the equilibrium in 2010s.
One of the best examples of this process, which can be considered as a summary of Qatar's foreign policy orientations, is the main battle tank inventory of Qatar Land Forces.
Qatar's army, which was established shortly after its independence in 1971, served with Ferret and Saracen-type light reconnaissance and patrol capable vehicles taken over from the British. Subsequently, within the scope of developing relations with France, AMX-10 type wheeled armoured vehicles and AMX-30 main battle tanks were procured from this country. While Alpha Jet trainer/attack aircrafts were bought in the same period, Mirage F1 warplanes were also purchased from France in the early 1980s. As a matter of fact, France has become the main arms supplier of the country since the 1980s.
Leclerc, France's new generation tank, was considered the most advantageous candidate in the project which was launched in order to replace AMX-30 tanks that were beginning to fill their useful service lives. UAE military also preferred this tank. However; Qatar surprisingly chose Germany for this requirement. In 2013, in the wake of a €189 billion deal with German Krauss Maffei Wegman (KMW), 62 Leopard 2A7+ tanks and 24 PzH-2000 self-propelled howitzers were ordered. Deliveries under this order, including support vehicles and tank carrier vehicles, commenced in 2015. This sales has also been an important milestone for Germany, a country who traditionally follows a low profile in the Middle East defense market.
A similar resource diversification orientation in the air force is also in question: The French Dassault production Mirage F1, which was the backbone of the air force during the 1980s, was replaced with 12 Mirage 2000-5s ordered in 1994. To replace these aircrafts, Qatar signed a $7 billion contract with France in September 2015 for 24 Rafale jets. But on the other hand, UAE started a process to supply F-15QA type warplanes from the US in last September. A contract of $21.1 billion was signed in November for 36 aircraft, including 12 options, as part of the anticipated purchase of a total of 72 aircraft in the long run.
Qatar-Turkey Defense Relations
Qatar is also an important and growing market for Turkish defense industry. Turkey's first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) export was carried out by Baykar Makina in 2012 with 10 mini-UAVs to this country. In 2016, six MRTP-20 type fast patrol boats will be delivered through a contract amounting to €41 million, signed between Yonca Onuk and Qatar Naval Forces. Ares, another Turkish shipbuilder, is still producing 17 patrol boats with three different types with the contract signed in 2014 with Qatar Coast Guard Command.
"Cooperation Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the State of Qatar on the Military Training, Defense Industry and the Deployment of the Turkish Armed Forces in the Qatar Territories" signed by the Defense Ministers of Turkey and Qatar on 19 December 2014 in Ankara, constituted an important milestone in terms of relations between the two countries. This agreement can also be considered as a reflection of Turkey's efforts to increase its presence and effectiveness in the Middle East.
As depicted under the "Cooperation Areas" of the said agreement, Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), will be able to deploy its troops permanently in Qatar territories with the purpose of training and joint military exercise and also can benefit from their port, airport and airspace. Other areas of cooperation include defense industry, logistics, counter-terrorism, and staff exchanges. In the military base, where 3,000 Turkish soldiers are to be hosted, air, land, navy and special forces staff are expected to serve.
One of the most concrete signs of increased military cooperation between Turkey and Qatar is the fact that Qatar Armed Forces became a shareholder of BMC company. 50% of the shares of military and civil vehicles producer BMC was purchased by Qatar Armed Forces Industry Committee in June 2014. BMC produces mine resistant armoured staff vehicles called Kirpi. These vehicles are also used by Tunisian, Pakistani and Turkmenistani armed forces. BMC is currently offering 4x4 armored vehicles named Vuran and Amazon in addition to Kirpi for the armored vehicle requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the security forces in the fight against terrorism. The company's tactical wheeled vehicle and truck models in different tonnages and configurations are also in fabrication and use. In addition to their premises in İzmir, the company is now establishing a new facility in Sakarya-Karasu, which was allocated with the decree of the Council of Ministers in 2016, on a 2.500 acres of land.
BMC also established a joint venture firm, Rheinmetall BMC Defense Industry (RBSS), with German defense giant Rheinmetall and Malesian Etika Strategi in August 2016. According to an article published on DefenseNews, a defense news website, on 29 December 2016, RBSS was negotiating with Qatari government for the production of 1000 armoured vehicle in said country. It is not yet clear how the fact that the relations between Turkey and Germany is on the verge of breaking could effect this joint venture.
BMC, along with other domestic vehicle producers OTOKAR and FNSS, is a prominent candidate for the mass production phase in Altai main battle tank project, which reached the end of its development process. Altai, whose development activities started with the contract signed between the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries and OTOKAR firm, is expected to be produced 1000 at a time and to be introduced to the world defense market, prominently in Middle East. It is transparent that Oman and Saudi Arabia are closely interested in Altai project.
Evaluation
During the visit of US President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia signed a defense agreement of $110 billion with this country and achieved some kind of a "refreshment of faith" in the alliance between the two countries. This situation has given Riyadh an important psychological superiority in the eternal rivalry between the Gulf countries. In such an environment, it is likely that Qatar, which has a relatively milder relationship with Iran, needs to improve its effectiveness in the Gulf and the wider Middle Eastern. With the recent crisis, the possible extent of this rivalry is unfolded.
The possibility of a deepening crisis carries the risk of getting Turkey, which has close relations with Qatar, involved. The military base in this country is of great importance in terms of Turkey's Middle East policy. Perceiving Turkey as a side or forcing it to be one might be a threat to its defense and security relations that it has tried to develop with other Gulf countries as well as Qatar.
Gulf countries, especially Qatar, is one of the most important exit gates of Turkey in defense and security fields. Joint training and military exercises collaborations have become a diplomatic instrument of close relations of Turkey with other countries of the region. This region, alongside of Pakistan, is one of the most crucial stepping stones in the expansion to the world markets in defense industry. This crisis can reach a dimension that threatens these gains that have so far been difficultly achieved.
On the other hand, the alliance, which has weakened between the Gulf countries due to this crisis, could turn into a new geopolitical success opportunity for Iran. This will also become a threat to Turkey, which is trying to implement new initiatives in the region.
http://orsam.org.tr/index.php/Content/Analiz/5130?c=orsam|english
