Qatari emir heads to Türkiye, first leader to visit after earthquake
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (R) receives Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, at Vahdettin Mansion in Istanbul, Türkiye, Feb. 12, 2023. (AA Photo)


Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, visited Türkiye and met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul on Sunday. The emir's visit is the first by a foreign leader to Türkiye after last Monday's deadly earthquakes.

Erdoğan and Sheikh Tamim met at Vahdettin Mansion in Istanbul, and their talks were closed to the press.

Qatar was among the first countries to dispatch aid to Türkiye after the earthquake, which killed thousands. Its Foreign Ministry announced one day after the earthquake that the government would send 10,000 mobile homes to Türkiye and Syria, which was also heavily affected by the disaster. The move "is part of Qatari efforts to contribute to relieving the quake-affected people in Syria and Türkiye," the ministry has said. Earlier, the emir ordered the launch of an airlift to help earthquake victims.

State news agency QNA has said that a rescue team, a field hospital, relief aid, tents and winter supplies will also be dispatched to the country.

Emir Al Thani himself donated $14 million to a telethon for earthquake victims by a Qatari TV station earlier.

Qatar Charity, an international nonprofit organization, also announced that it sent more than 43 tons of humanitarian aid, from food and hygiene kits to accommodation material, to Türkiye, via a Turkish Cargo airplane, both for Türkiye and its neighbor Syria.