Erdoğan, Qatari emir discuss regional war as they mourn helicopter crash victims

2026-03-25 - 04:00

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a phone call early Wednesday to exchange condolences over a helicopter crash that claimed seven lives, while also discussing the escalating regional conflict. Mourning joint forces The two leaders mourned the loss of personnel from the Qatar-Turkish Combined Joint Force Command following a Friday evening crash in which a Qatari Armed Forces helicopter went down at sea during training activities due to a technical malfunction. Among the seven killed were four Qatari military personnel, one Turkish soldier, and two technicians from Türkiye's ASELSAN defense corporation. Gratitude for peace efforts During the conversation, Sheikh Tamim expressed gratitude to Erdoğan for his efforts "to stop the war in our region," according to a statement from Türkiye's Communications Directorate. The Qatari emir emphasized that "the teams of the two countries will remain in constant dialogue," underscoring the close coordination between Ankara and Doha amid regional instability. Wider context The call comes as the Middle East remains engulfed in conflict following the US-Israeli offensive against Iran launched Feb. 28, which has killed more than 1,340 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Türkiye and Qatar, both active diplomatic players in the region, have maintained coordination in efforts to de-escalate tensions even as fighting continues across multiple fronts.