As he visited the Gulf country, Deputy Foreign Minister Yasin Ekrem Serim hailed relations between Türkiye and Qatar and defined them as rapidly developing in all areas. Serim told Al-Jazeera that relations had a "strategic character based on mutual trust."
Serim visited Doha last week with a delegation of diplomats. He spoke about his visit and current international developments.
He expressed his gratitude for the hospitality shown by Qatari officials and noted that he has had regular contact with Qatar’s minister of state for international cooperation, Lolwah Rashid al-Khater, regarding humanitarian aid to Gaza since March. "Since the beginning of the crisis, Türkiye and Qatar have been responsible for a significant portion of the aid delivered to Gaza," he said.
He noted that the relationship between the two countries is built on "brotherly" sentiments and that significant progress has been made in all areas. Emphasizing continuous contact between the two countries, Serim referred to high-level mutual visits and meetings.
Serim condemned the massacres in Gaza and stressed the importance of intensifying cooperation with regional countries on this issue. He declared that the world has been informed that "there will be no silence in the face of the oppression in Gaza" and reiterated "the Palestinian cause has always been our common ground. We will never leave our Palestinian brothers alone." Serim emphasized the need to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and to prevent the spread of the conflict to Lebanon and the entire region. He said the U.N. Security Council’s decision on June 10 to approve a resolution endorsing a cease-fire plan in Gaza was a significant step toward ending the massacre there. He also welcomed the International Court of Justice's decision ordering Israel to stop its attacks on the southern city of Rafah and to open the Rafah border crossing for humanitarian aid, reaffirming ongoing support for Palestine. Serim stressed the need to end the Israeli occupation and work toward a two-state solution, praising mediation efforts and affirming continued contributions to these efforts. He added that having a state is the most natural right of the Palestinian people.
