Türkiye, Qatar to 'keep cooperating' for Mideast peace
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declared Türkiye's intention to continuing its collaboration with Qatar in a bid to achieve lasting peace in the turbulent Middle East, particularly amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Speaking to a group of journalists on his return from a visit to Doha on Dec. 6, Erdoğan emphasized the alignment of Türkiye and Qatar's perspectives in addressing the regional challenges.
"In the future, both myself, our Foreign Ministry and our relevant institutions will be in contact with Qatar. We will run this process together, in which we aim to achieve peace, and we will take the steps together," Erdoğan was quoted as saying.
The president's remarks come amid escalating tensions, with reports suggesting that Israel is considering targeted assassinations of Hamas members residing outside Palestinian territories, including Türkiye.
Responding to these reports, Erdoğan said, "They should know that if they commit such a mistake, they will pay the price very, very heavily. If they dare to take such a step against Türkiye and the Turks, they will be condemned to pay the price in a way that they will never be able to stand on their own again."
Erdoğan also addressed Türkiye's request for 40 new F-16s and 79 modernization kits from the United States, pending approval.
"We told our interlocutors that if the United States has a congress, we also have a parliament," he said, linking an upcoming vote in the Turkish parliament on Sweden's NATO bid to the fighter jets' procurement.
"You should pass this issue simultaneously in your congress, and let's take these steps together."
