Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a phone call to discuss Israel’s attack on a Hamas negotiation delegation in Doha, Erdogan’s office said, adding that the two leaders also exchanged views on possible joint steps to be taken in response.
In the phone call, Erdogan offered condolences to the martyrs and emphasised that Ankara will stand by the State and people of Qatar with all its means.
Türkiye’s president also condemned Israel’s attack in a statement on Turkish social media platform NSosyal on Tuesday, describing it as “a blatant violation of international law” against its “brotherly nation.”
“Israel’s attack on Hamas negotiation delegation in Qatar has once again clearly demonstrated the blind rage of the (Benjamin) Netanyahu government, and its intent to deepen conflict and instability,” Erdogan said, adding that those who had turned terrorism into state policy would not succeed.
“In the face of Israel’s banditry, which seeks to drag not only itself but the entire region into disaster, we will maintain our steadfast and determined stance; and no matter the cost, we will continue to defend peace, international law, and the freedom of the Palestinian people.”
Following the strikes, the Turkish Embassy in Doha said it has been “closely” monitoring developments, urging Turkish nationals to closely follow announcements from Qatari authorities, as well as those to be published through official social media accounts and the embassy’s website.
Israel's strikes on Doha were the first of their kind in the Qatari capital, where Hamas says its delegation was meeting over a US-backed Gaza ceasefire plan.
The Palestinian resistance group said the strikes had killed six people, including the son of its top negotiator and a Qatari security officer, but that senior leaders had survived.
Qatar, along with the US and Egypt, has been playing a central role in efforts to mediate an end to Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
