Qatar to stand by Türkiye in good, bad times: Envoy

By Zeynep Hilal Karyagdi Duran and Zeynep Tufekci Gulay

ISTANBUL (AA) - Qatar will stand by Türkiye in good and bad days, its ambassador to Ankara said Saturday amid deadly twin earthquakes.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Nasser bin Jassim Al-Thani told Anadolu that the Qatari leader was the first to visit Türkiye after the disaster.

"Brotherhood requires this. We stand by Türkiye in good and bad times. We have unique relations. Both countries have stood by each other in every difficulty,” he said. “I am confident that Türkiye will overcome this difficult period and continue its ambitious vision and projects.”

Noting that Qatar took action to support quake-hit regions from the first hours of the disaster, he said the Emir of Qatar immediately ordered the establishment of an air bridge where tons of humanitarian aid began to be shipped by planes.

“The people of Qatar have taken action for aid from the very first moments. Aid campaigns and various initiatives have been launched. All charities have made efforts in this direction,” he said.

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani donated nearly $14 million and overall donations reached $46 million, he said.

At least 40,642 people have been killed and over 108,000 injured by two powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest figures.

The 7.7- and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar