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Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, a close friend of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was at the Presidential Complex on Thursday for a meeting. The two leaders did not have a scheduled news conference, but the visit is significant as it comes amid a potential spillover of Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
Turkish media outlets reported that the leaders discussed bilateral relations as well as the crisis in Gaza, where Israel has slaughtered nearly 40,000 people since last October after an incursion into Israel by the resistance movement Hamas.
Strong allies Türkiye and Qatar are at the forefront of efforts to mediate a solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict. Qatar often brings together sides for cease-fire talks, which have failed so far, while Türkiye claims the main role in highlighting the tragedy the Palestinians faced and raises its voice against what it calls Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Among the topics Erdoğan and the Qatari leader are expected to discuss are the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was buried in Qatar, and Iran’s potential response to his killing in Tehran reportedly by Israel, as well as ongoing tensions between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. They will also discuss the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, media reports said.
Türkiye is a supporter of the Palestinian cause and an independent State of Palestine and escalated its opposition to the Netanyahu administration after the new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict erupted last October. Erdoğan has repeatedly called for more efforts to ensure a cease-fire between the sides, but Israel’s aggression in the Gaza Strip continues unabatedly. Türkiye blames the steadfast support to Netanyahu by the West for the failure to end the conflict.
Israel, flouting a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza. Nearly 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, exerted efforts to ensure a cease-fire in the conflict, but the killing of Haniyeh and other factors frustrate the Gulf country. “Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza, while talks continue, leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani wrote on X recently.
Türkiye on Wednesday submitted a formal bid to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a declaration of intervention in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.
Türkiye, one of the fiercest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, became the latest nation to seek to participate in the case after Palestine, Nicaragua, Spain and others.
In May, Türkiye said it had decided to join the case launched by South Africa as it stepped up measures against Israel over the assault on Gaza, adding that its bid would follow the necessary legal preparations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has frequently compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, accused his country of genocide, called for it to be punished in international courts and criticized Western nations for backing Israel.
Also in May, Türkiye suspended trade with Israel, citing its assault on Gaza. In contrast to Western nations that have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, Erdogan has commended the group, calling it a liberation movement.
South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice late last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention through its military operations in Gaza. In that case, the court called on Israel to do everything in its power to prevent genocide and recently ordered the country to “ensure urgent humanitarian assistance” in Gaza without delay.
The ICJ in May then ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive and demanded the release of hostages and the “unhindered provision” of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Ankara and Doha enjoy strong relations, particularly since the 2017 blockade of the Gulf country by Saudi Arabia and others. The two countries have strengthened military and economic ties in recent years.
