Qatar and Turkey are holding joint military exercises and showcasing their strategic alliance despite the Arab neighbors that have boycotted Qatar, according to Al Sharq (The Orient) newspaper of the country.

The maneuvers are aimed at preparing Qatar’s armed forces to defend “vital economic, strategic, and infrastructure facilities,” the state-owned newspaper reported.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have broken diplomatic relations with Qatar accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha, however, denies these accusations.