President Erdogan mourns passing of former Qatari emir

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday offered his condolences on the death of Qatar’s former emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, at the age of 74.

In a message shared on his NSosyal account, Erdogan described Sheikh Hamad as “a close friend” and highlighted his role in strengthening ties between Türkiye and Qatar.

President Erdogan said he had worked alongside the former emir on the international stage during his years as prime minister and had personally witnessed his efforts to promote stability in the region, peace in the Islamic world and prosperity for the Qatari people.

“I learned with great sorrow of the passing of my very dear friend, the Father Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish president credited Sheikh Hamad with making a major contribution to the development of political, commercial, military, cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries.