'We serve as if it is our own country,' says Qatari commander leading Türkiye quake relief mission

By Faruk Zorlu and Betul Aklan

ADANA, Türkiye (AA) – Qatar is trying to help people in Türkiye’s quake-hit regions “as if it is our own country,” according to a Qatari military commander.

“When this disaster occurred, we took action on the very first day, as instructed by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,” Lt. Col. Hamad Al Hajri told Anadolu at the Incirlik Air Base in the southern Adana province, where his team is stationed with four helicopters and a C-130 plane.

Adana is one of the 11 southern Turkish provinces hit in the Feb. 6 tremors, along with Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes, which were centered in Kahramanmaras, have affected more than 13 million people, while the death toll is now over 44,200.

“After a preparatory meeting on Feb. 8, a team of 30 people set off for Türkiye on two planes of the Qatar Armed Forces on Feb. 9. The next day, two more planes and four helicopters arrived,” Al Hajri said.

“Within a few days, our aircraft were ready to carry supplies to the regions in need. After that, humanitarian aid, such as medical supplies, have been arriving from Qatar every day, and this is still continuing,” he added.

Additionally, four Qatari military planes are also being used to airlift relief supplies from different countries, he said.

Via an air corridor set up at the Incirlik Air Base, Qatari C-17 and C-130 military aircraft are used to transfer aid materials sent from different institutions and organizations, he added.

“From the first day, we have been working in close cooperation with the Turkish Armed Forces, like a team. It is just like we are in Qatar,” he emphasized.

One of the first things Qatari officials did in Türkiye was to get in contact with the Turkish disaster management agency AFAD and find a place to set up a field hospital, said Al Hajri.

“After finding the right location for the hospital, we immediately started its construction, as well as setting up shelters for victims,” he said.

A field hospital was set up and made operational in Hatay’s Payas district within five days, while tents were installed for 1,000 people, according to the official.

The hospital has a capacity of 200 people, he said, adding that it has so far served some 2,000 patients.

“We serve as if it is our own country,” he asserted.

- Türkiye, Qatar ‘have always stood by each other’

On the strong bond between Türkiye and Qatar, the commander said: “The relations … are very historical. The two countries have always stood by each other in difficult times and will continue to do so.”

He said Qatar has named its Türkiye relief effort Operation Bricks of a Building, in reference to a saying of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad where he likened the relationship between Muslims as the bricks of a building that support each other.

Al Hajri concluded by expressing heartfelt condolences to the Turkish nation.

“First of all, I wish Allah’s mercy on those who lost their lives in this great disaster, and healing to the injured, and patience to the Turkish people,” he said.

Qatar’s ruler Al Thani was the first foreign leader to visit Türkiye after the Feb. 6 twin tremors.

In his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Al Thani pledged that Qatar would extend all possible support to help the brotherly nation of Türkiye overcome this crisis.