BILATERAL BOOST: As a result of the tireless efforts of Turkish and Qatari leadership, both countries already earned global respect and appreciation regarding the roles they play by mediating in regional and international problems, as they share the similar vision in every issue, including sustainable development, LDCs, peaceful resolution of conflicts, writes the ambassador.
This year, the 18th of December, the National Day of the State of Qatar, holds an even more special meaning for the people of Qatar as it is also the day when the curtains will come down on the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, organised successfully in Qatar. After more than a decade of anticipation and preparation, Qatar has written a success story by organising this distinguished sports event and has proven its capacity as the host of one of the most successful tournaments in the FIFA World Cup history. The 2022 championship has been recorded as the most popular World Cup ever, with record numbers of spectators in the stadiums. Today, we are pleased to witness that Qatar, the first Muslim country ever to host this most beloved event of world football, has demonstrated a great success in all aspects, in terms of organisation, security, safety, infrastructure, sports and cultural events. With this success, Qatar has managed to enhance its position as a soft power by adding “sports diplomacy” next to its already widely recognised diplomatic capabilities in areas such as energy diplomacy, and international mediation. The World Cup has also contributed immensely to the introduction of Qatari, Arab and Muslim culture on a global scale. It was a great opportunity to further introduce and promote Qatari traditions, customs and Arab-Islamic heritage. International fans have been amazed by the Qatari hospitality which is a cornerstone of local culture. Thanks to this success, Qatar has paved the way for the organisation of such events by other Arab and Muslim countries in the future. We are sure that it will host many other international sports events in the coming years, like the 2023 Asian Cup football, with the same level of success. Furthermore, Qatar has managed to preserve its identity and values without restricting the freedoms of people during the organisation of the World Cup. This success was witnessed on a global scale that no country has the ability to organise such an event in the same way, and that the peoples of this region are also capable of hosting this event in the best way possible. On the way to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Türkiye continued to fully support Qatar in every area they needed. Our companies played a great role in the construction of the World Cup infrastructure and other projects. More than 200 projects worth billions of dollars have been completed by Turkish companies in Qatar so far. As a clear demonstration of our strong support, more than 3,000 Turkish police officers and military personnel served in Qatar to ensure the security of the FIFA World Cup. We are very glad to contribute to Qatar in its historical endeavours to host this tournament. The attendance of HE President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the opening ceremony in Al Bayt Stadium on November 20, 2022 following the invitation of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is one of the most significant indicators of our continuous support to Qatar at a critical time when Qatar was unfairly subjected to criticism in some international media. Today, we are simultaneously witnessing the dusk of the World Cup and the dawn of the new era awaiting us. 2023 will be the year of historic landmarks for Türkiye, both internally and in terms of our relations with Qatar. While celebrating the centenary of our Republic and 500th anniversary of the establishment of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations with brotherly Qatar. The Turkish embassy in Doha plans to organise diplomatic, cultural and social events in honour of each of these historical milestones which we already await eagerly. Moreover, significant bilateral and multilateral diplomatic events will take place in the upcoming year 2023. As one of the most important events in this regard, the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) at the Heads of State level will be held in Doha, from 5-9 March 2023. As is well known, Türkiye has been leading the efforts to ensure the effective working of the LDC Group and hosted its meetings in 2011in İstanbul and in 2016, Antalya. In 2023, the new episodes of the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum (10-12 March 2023), hosted by Türkiye and the Doha Forum, hosted by Qatar, will also once again provide us with important opportunities and brainstorming sessions on the latest developments in international politics and further enhance our already strong global network. We are also looking forward to the 2023 International Horticultural Expo which will be organised in Doha between October 2023 and March 2024 with the “Green Desert, Better Environment” theme. In an era when the ecological issues gain more importance within international agenda every day, we hope that this event will contribute to raising the global environmental awareness. Türkiye will actively take part and be strongly represented in the mentioned Expo next year. Last but not least, the 9th Türkiye-Qatar Supreme Strategic Committee is expected to convene in Doha in the second half of 2023. Having signed approximately 100 documents with Qatar so far on the margins of SSC meetings, we attach utmost importance to this bilateral commission as it is a solid indicator of the outstanding level reached in relations between our countries. As a result of the tireless efforts of Turkish and Qatari leadership, both countries already earned global respect and appreciation regarding the roles they play by mediating in regional and international problems, as they share the similar vision in every issue, including sustainable development, LDCs, peaceful resolution of conflicts. Taking this opportunity, I reiterate my sincere congratulations to our Qatari brothers on their National Day and for the successful organisation of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and to express my firm belief that the significant impact and positive environment created by this success will reflect brightly upon the continent, as well as on our bilateral relations in 2023.
