Qatari emir expresses solidarity with quake-hit Türkiye, Syria

By Ahmed Yusuf Bitmez and Gulsen Topcu

DOHA, Qatar (AA) – Qatar’s emir expressed solidarity with Türkiye and Syria on Sunday after deadly earthquakes jolted the countries last week.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who arrived in Türkiye on a working visit, shared a photo on Twitter.

"We met today with my brother President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan, and during this visit, we learned about the latest repercussions of the devastating earthquake disaster that struck Türkiye and Syria, and we affirm our support and solidarity with the brothers, and to contribute to the efforts made to mitigate this disaster," he tweeted.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed strategic relations between Qatar and Türkiye and developments in the region, according to a statement issued by the emir’s office, the Amiri Diwan.

Al Thani also expressed his condolences to Erdogan for those who lost their lives in the earthquakes, stressing that Qatar will continue to offer all kinds of support to the brotherly people of Türkiye to overcome the crisis.

The Qatari emir is the first leader to visit Türkiye after the deadly earthquakes.

At least 29,605 people were killed by last Monday’s earthquakes, the country's disaster agency said Sunday.

The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude quakes, centered in Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces including Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of less than 10 hours.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan