Doha, 21 July 2022 (QT)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

The relationship between France and Qatar is an old and good one, but good is not enough, it must be exceptional, the Ambassador of France to Qatar Jean-Baptiste Faivre has said, adding that in this regard a great deal of work has been done this year to strengthen the relationship, which is once again excellent.

The French ambassador was addressing a gala reception that was held to celebrate the 233rd National Day of France. The reception was hosted by him at Hotel Ritz-Carlton, Doha.

“One year after taking office, I am pleased and honoured to celebrate for the first time French National Day in Qatar, the year when we are also commemorating the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between France and Qatar,” he said.

Those present on the occasion included Minister of Social Development and the Family Mrs. Mariam bint Ali Al Misnad; Ambassador Ibrahim Yousif Fakhroo, Director of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; members of the diplomatic Corp in Qatar; dignitaries; guests; a large number of French community members and members of the French Armed Forces.

The French envoy said he was happy to be heading the French Embassy in Qatar and appreciated the support he has witnessed since his arrival. “I am confident of achieving great projects together in the future,” he asserted. “Fostering bilateral relationship to a dynamic revival has been initiated at the highest level. Over
the course of this year, the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron have met three times – in Baghdad in August, in Doha in December, and in Paris in May-end,” he noted.

The Strategic Dialogue held between the foreign ministers of the two countries at the end of March set an ambitious roadmap, he added. “Moreover, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, M. Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Qatar three times during the last few years and the new French Foreign Minister, Mrs. Colonna, has already twice met Sheikh Mohamad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani whom she received recently in Paris, on the sidelines of the ‘Choose France’ Summit.

The bilateral official visits also included those by French Minister of Interior and Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces to Doha and visits by Qatari ministers to France.

On cultural, education and tourism levels, he said, “projects like the outstanding Dior exhibition, and coopération between muséums and universitiés will further strengthen our relations”.

The French envoy announced that French presidency of the European Union has made it possible to make progress towards a future visa waiver for the citizens of Qatar, “and these developments mirror the renewed vitality of our partnership”.

He said that Qatar today is at the centre of regional and international attention as Doha has been the pivot of an exceptional cooperation with the international community on Afghanistan, Lebanon, Ukraine, Chad, and Syria as both France and Qatar are the two powers that work for stability and are committed to respecting laws and conflict resolution.

The envoy said that 120 French companies are operating in the major sectors in Qatar and contributing towards the development of Qatar. “Moreover, France ranks first in Europe in terms of international investments and offers great opportunities for Qatari investors.”

On the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, he said that France will be at Qatar’s side to ensure the success of this unprecedented event in the region. France has always been present since the Asian Games in 2006.

He added: “We will also help implement the Cooperation Agreement that we have with the State of Qatar and the International Labour Organization.”

In his concluded remarks, the French ambassador paid his gratitude to Qatari and French companies for their cooperation and support in hosting the gala reception celebrating French National Day as well as to the members of French embassy and Hotel Ritz-Carlton, Doha.

He lauded the role and contributions of French schools, university, French community, forums, The Maison de France, Doha Accuell and Francophone community in Qatar for playing essential role in building bilateral relationship and outreach.

His address was followed by a short video-recorded message of Mrs. Laura Georges, Secretary General of the French Football Federation and a former football player.

Talking to Qatar Tribune on the occasion, Zainab Zouani, who works with HEC Qatar, paid her gratitude to the French ambassador and his team on the wonderful arrangements. She said the event was perfect for her as she not only got the opportunity to be part of her National Day celebrations but also for the chance to meet such a large number of her compatriots and other people.

Thomas Tobias, a young engineer working in Qatar for the last three years with a French energy company, said he was very happy and proud to be a part of the celebrations in his second and new home Qatar. “Being among such a large number of guests especially my compatriots, I do not feel away from my country,” he said, adding that this is the best time to be in Qatar since so many good things are happening here including the FIFA World Cup. “I am very excited for the World Cup for which I was lucky to purchase the tickets already”.

Elena Torrijos, who’s serving as a legal consul for the last four years in Qatar and is an elected community counsellor-French Community in Qatar and Bahrain, said that being away from motherland, she is so happy to celebrate the spirit and culture of France and keeping link with her roots. “It was four years ago when I arrived in Qatar and now celebrating my first National Day in Qatar. Since, the French team was playing in the final of the World Cup, the atmosphere was electric and once again we French nationals will be watching World Cup here in Qatar this year. Today, even without sport, I feel electric.”

Talking about French community Forum established in 2013, she said three counsellors are elected for five years, one in Bahrain and two for Qatar. The forum organises various socio-cultural activities and supports school education fees for students whose parents cannot afford education. She said some 2,900 students are studying in two French schools. “French Community Forum is usually supporting around 25 students in each session. There are two educational sessions yearly.”

Meanwhile, the guests were entertained with the large variety of delicious French cuisines and were thrilled with the selected numbers of melodious songs played on the occasion by a local group of professional artists.

Tehran, 17 July 2022 (Anadolu News)

Istanbul, 17 July 2022 (Anadolu News)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay an official visit to Iran on July 18-19 at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, the Turkish Presidency said on Sunday.

Erdogan and Raisi will co-chair the seventh meeting of the Türkiye-Iran High-Level Cooperation Council in Tehran on July 19, the presidency said in a statement.

“All aspects of the Türkiye-Iran relations and potential steps that would enhance the bilateral cooperation will be discussed during the Council Meeting, which will be held with the participation of relevant ministers,” it added.

Besides the bilateral relations, regional and global matters will also be discussed, according to the statement.

On the same day, Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the seventh trilateral summit meeting in Astana format to be hosted by the Iranian president, the statement said.

The recent developments in Syria, fight against terror groups, particularly YPG/PKK and Daesh/ISIS, which pose a threat to regional security, efforts aimed at a political resolution, the humanitarian situation and the voluntarily return of Syrians to their homes will be on the agenda of the summit, it added.

The Turkish president will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the summit.

The Astana talks for peace in Syria were launched in 2017 at the initiative of these three countries. Its meetings also contribute to the advancement of the UN-led diplomatic process in Geneva.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters with unexpected ferocity.
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Lahore 17 July 2022

As the results of crucial by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats in Punjab continued to trickle in late on Sunday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged victorious in the majority of the seats. According to the unofficial and inconclusive results, the Imran Khan-led party has secured back 15 seats out of 20 polls results.

The former ruling party won two provincial assembly seats from Jhang, three from Lahore and one each from Multan, Rawalpindi, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Khushab, Bhakkar, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, and Lodhran.

According to the unofficial results, PML-N won four seats including only one from Lahore. An independent candidate won a seat too, according to preliminary results received till now.

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has accused the Punjab government of using the state machinery to rig the by-elections on 20 provincial assembly seats while calling upon the courts to 'open now and act'.

In a tweet from his official handle, Imran said the provincial government led by CM Hamza Shehbaz “brazenly” violated Supreme Court orders and election rules “by openly using all govt/State machinery to rig Punjab elections through illegal ballot stamping & harassing voters while arresting PTI ldrs[leaders]”.

“Through it all ECP [Election Commission of Pakistan] turned a blind eye. Courts must open now & act,” he maintained.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) established 3,131 polling stations in these 20 constituencies, out of which 676 have been declared highly sensitive and 1,194 sensitive. However, there was no serious incident reported through out the province of Punjab during

Former Prime Minister Sharif's led alliance today announced it\s defeat in provincial by-elections at a press c conference this night. Both major political parties PMLN and PPP in PMLN led governments in federal and Punjab province have called their Executive committee meeting tomorrow evening.

On other side, government of Pakistan has put security on high alert for 48 hours in the Capital city of Islamabad.

Kuwait Air Force will be receiving two more Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets in few weeks time. Four jets were delivered earlier from it's 28 orders placed on 5th April 2016. Complete delivery of fightrr jets is scheduled by 2024.

One of the two Typhoon fighter jet aircraft is currently participating  in RIAT Air Show being held at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England. Annual World's largest military air show is held over the third week-end in July.

Guido Sibona, Vice President, Leonardo’s Eurofighter Program, said. 'I’m very proud to see Kuwaiti Air Force Eurofighter here in RIAT, one of the most important Air Show in the world. The Eurofighter Typhoons we have developed and produced for the Kuwait Air Force are the most advanced in the whole of the European program. In cooperation with the Italian Air Force we are providing the Country with an impressive air defence capability and we built state-of-the-art infrastructures in the Country to support and maintain a fleet of 28 aircraft.”

Col. Pilot Eisa AlRashidi, 7th Squadron Commander, Kuwait Air Force said that ' The Kuwait Air Force is  participating in the Royal International Air Tattoo for the first time since 1993, when we were flying the F/A-18C. This year, we're very proud to be returning with the most advanced Eurofighter Typhoon in world.

The capability of this platform makes the Kuwaiti Air Force one of the best equipped Air Forces in the region. We are looking to start the OCU in Kuwait by the end of 2022 with the support of the Italian Air Force and Leonardo to build and maintain a quality pilot training Centre for Kuwait”.

This multi-role fighter aircrafts have a package of capabilities on top of the previous Typhoon's enhancement program, such as the Captor-E (E-scan) radar and several novelties in the weapon system that are bringing the Kuwait Air Force to the front-line of fighter technology.

On 5 April 2016, a contract between the Ministry of Defence of the State of Kuwait and Leonardo (acting as Prime Contractor Organisation) was signed. It was a true success for the Eurofighter Consortium, the partners companies and of the Countries System.

Jeddah, 16 July 2022 (Anadolu News)

The United States and Saudi Arabia on Saturday called for deterring Iran's interference in the region and preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"President Biden strongly affirmed the United States’ continued commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial defense," said a joint statement following Biden's meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The statement affirmed US commitment to allowing Riyadh "to obtain necessary capabilities to defend its people and territory against external threats." According to the statement, both countries stressed "the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon."

At several occasions, Iran vehemently denied the accusations of interference in the affairs of the region's countries.

US President Joe Biden said Saturday that the US will not leave any vacuum in the Middle East region to Russia, China, or Iran. “We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia, or Iran,” Biden said at an Arab-American summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah. “We will seek to build on this moment with active, principled, American leadership,” he added.

The summit brought together Biden with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council members, as well as Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.

US President Joe Biden pledged on Saturday to provide Jordan with $1.45 billion in assistance per year. The pledge was made in a joint statement issued following a meeting between Biden and Jordanian King Abdullah II on the sideline of a US-Arab summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

The statement said Biden announced his intention to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for assistance for Jordan with a value of $1.45 billion per year beginning in 2023 and ending in 2029.

The trip was seen as a US attempt to assert leadership in the Middle East against China and Russia amid the Russian war in Ukraine. Addressing the summit, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the meeting was held "at a time when the world is witnessing great challenges."

He also called on regional rival Iran to be “cooperative and not to interfere in regional affairs."

Before the start of the summit, Biden held separate meetings with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and President of the United Arab Emirates President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

In an interview with CNBC on Saturday, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, said Riyadh will continue to bolster its partnerships with both Washington and Beijing.

US President Joe Biden said his country’s peacekeepers will leave the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir later this year. Biden made the statement during his meeting on Friday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

In April 2016, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed a border demarcation agreement by which sovereignty over the two islands were transferred to Saudi Arabia.

Biden is scheduled to conclude a 4-day trip to the Middle East region later Saturday that included Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank. The tour is seen as a US attempt to assert leadership in the region against Russia and China.

Islamabad, 14 July 2022

Jeddah, 15 July 2022 (AlJazeera)

US President Joe Biden has said he brought up the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the top of a meeting with senior Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.

Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Biden said he also discussed human rights “and the need for political reform” during the talks.

“As I always do, I made clear that the topic [of human rights] is vitally important to me and to the United States,” Biden said. “With respect to the murder of Khashoggi, I raised it at the top of the meeting, making it clear what I thought of it at the time, and when I think of it now.”

He added that a US president cannot be “silent on an issue of human rights”.

Biden was criticised earlier in the day for greeting the Saudi Crown Prince (MBS) – whom US intelligence agencies concluded was responsible for Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 – with a fist bump when he arrived for the meetings.

“It projected a level of intimacy and comfort that delivers to MBS the unwarranted redemption he has been desperately seeking,” said Fred Ryan, publisher of the Washington Post newspaper where Khashoggi worked at the time of his death. The Committee to Project Journalists also said it was “appalled” by Biden’s “failure” to hold the crown prince accountable.

As a candidate for president in 2019, Biden promised to treat the kingdom as a “pariah” over the journalist’s killing, and his administration had initially said that he would only deal with his direct counterpart, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett said Biden’s comments to reporters aimed to “do damage control” amid the criticism of his visit. “He was cleaning up what was clearly a bit of a public relations disaster,” she said.

The US president’s trip to Saudi Arabia comes amid efforts to reset Washington’s relationship with Riyadh, and as the world grapples with soaring energy costs linked to the war in Ukraine. Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Saudi Arabia has insisted that the killing of Khashoggi was a rogue operation that took place without the approval or knowledge of top officials, including MBS. It has rejected the US intelligence agencies’ findings, and also says it tried and convicted those responsible for the murder.

Writing in US magazine Politico on Thursday, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, reiterated the kingdom’s “abhorrence” of the killing, describing it as a gruesome atrocity, but said it cannot define US-Saudi ties.

Energy concerns

The Saudis held a subdued welcome for Biden at the airport in Jeddah, with none of the ceremony that accompanied his stop this week in Israel. Biden was greeted by Mecca’s governor, Prince Khalid bin Faisal, and the Saudi ambassador to the US.

Prior to Biden’s arrival, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on board Air Force One that Biden would “clearly and substantively” lay out his vision for Washington’s engagement in the Middle East during his meetings in Saudi Arabia.

“He’s intent on ensuring that there is not a vacuum in the Middle East for China and Russia to fill, that American leadership and American engagement will be a feature of US policy in this region, and that we intend to play a critical role in this strategically vital region on an ongoing basis,” Sullivan said.

Biden held talks with Saudi King Salman at the royal palace in Jeddah and then the US president and his team had a working session with MBS and Saudi ministers.

Experts have said energy interests have pushed Biden to travel to the kingdom.

The US is eager to see Saudi Arabia and its Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) partners pump more oil to help bring down the high cost of gasoline and ease the highest US inflation rate in 40 years.

Biden will meet with a broader set of Arab leaders at a meeting in Jeddah on Saturday.

But a US official told the Reuters news agency ahead of the visit that Washington was not expecting Riyadh to immediately boost oil production and was eyeing the outcome of the next OPEC+ meeting on August 3.

Biden noted during his brief Friday afternoon news conference that oil prices have been dropping since before his trip to the Middle East, saying the potential effects of his visit to Saudi Arabia on the energy market would not be felt “for another couple of weeks”.

Spare capacity within OPEC is running low, with most producers pumping at maximum capacity. It is unclear how much extra supply Saudi Arabia could bring to the market and how quickly.

OPEC+ decided last month to increase output targets by 648,000 barrels per day (bpd) in August, ending record production cuts that it brought at the height of the pandemic to counter collapsing demand.

‘Significant business’

Meanwhile, the US president also enumerated a list of agreements that he said US and Saudi officials formalised at Friday’s meetings, describing them as “significant business”.

He listed deals to allow Israeli flights into Saudi airspace and to transfer two Red Sea islands from Egyptian to Saudi sovereignty, as well as infrastructure and clean energy projects.

“Thanks to months of steady diplomacy between my administration and Saudi Arabia, it is finally a reality,” Biden had said in an earlier statement about the airspace agreement.

That deal follows years of de facto rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Two years ago, Riyadh did not protest when the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain moved to normalise relations with Israel as part of a series of US-brokered deals known as the Abraham Accords.

The Saudi ambassador to Washington said US-Saudi efforts to ensure peace and security should focus on enhancing cooperation and “reinforcing a rules-based system” to confront the “vision of chaos promoted by Iran”.

During his visit to Israel, Biden and caretaker Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint pledsge to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Tehran, which slammed the US-Israeli declaration, denies seeking such weapons.

Doha, 14 July 2022 (QT)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

Bilateral relations between France and Qatar are excellent in all sectors including in the diplomatic, political, economic, investments, defence, internal security, sports, educational and cultural fields, the Ambassador of France to Qatar Jean-Baptiste Faivre, has said.

“I am convinced that the relationship between the two countries must be exceptional, and that is precisely what our efforts are aimed at,” he said while addressing a press conference on the eve of 133th anniversary of the fall of Bastile prisons, Paris on 14th July 1789, as a national holiday.

The French envoy said that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, led the inaugural Qatar-France Strategic Dialogue on March 28, 2022, in Doha, which has designed a clear roadmap in further strengthening of relationship in all sectors.

Strategic dialogues took place in coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, he said, adding that both sides reaffirmed their mutual commitment to bolstering friendly relations.

The two most widely celebrated holidays in France are Bastile Day (14 July) and All Saints Day (1st November). Faivre, who presented his credentials in September last year, said, “It’s an honour for me to head the French embassy in Qatar, because Qatar is a strategic partner of France, a friendly country and a power that counts at the regional and international levels.”

“In terms of bilateral relations, a strong impetus has been given by our Heads of States. Since my arrival, they have met three times, each time for in-depth talks, in Baghdad in August, in Doha in December and on 29 May in Paris.”

The French envoy said that former Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, has visited Qatar three times in six months between September 2021 and March 2022. “This dynamic continues with our new Minister, Mrs Catherine Colonna, who was keen to have a very quick first telephone conversation
with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on 27 June, and recently both met a few days back in Paris on the occasion of the Choose France Summit.”
Moreover, French Minister of Home Affairs, Gérald Darmanin visited Qatar in December last and participated in the inauguration of the Milipol Qatar trade show in May.

The French envoy noted that in regards to political relationship, France and Qatar strongly share the will to resolve regional issues through peaceful means and dialogue. In this regard, both sides have had many contacts on major international issues such as Palestine, Libya, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and Chad.

He expressed his gratitude for Qatar’s mediation on several issues including Chad and Afghanistan.

Faivre said that France is firmly committed to the two-state solution on Palestine issue and has long been opposed to the continuation of the occupation and colonization, which are neither acceptable nor sustainable.

“These situations, which are contrary to international law, lead to tragedies as we have unfortunately seen with the death of the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed on 11 May in Jenin. This shocking attack, as well as the police violence that occurred during the funeral, were condemned by France,” he noted.

Talking on defence cooperation, he said that France has a long tradition of military cooperation with Qatar and remains committed to supporting Qatar’s defence as well as regional security. He said the last remaining supply of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft will be completed this year.

“Both sides are working on current and developing threats such as cyber threats, fight against terrorism or organised crime, to name a few.”

On the forthcoming mega FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the French envoy said that France will be providing support of French police, gendarmerie and army.

“‘We have got a lot to learn from Qatar’s experience to make our own upcoming competitions (Rugby World Cup in 2023 and Olympic games in 2024) a success,” he pointed out.

The French envoy said he regarded economic ties between the two countries as “excellent”, Qatar being a key trading partner for France in a wide range of areas including energy, transportation, logistics, food etc. He said there are numerous areas of furthering cooperation like mutual investments, food security, maritime
transportation, sustainable development, circular economy, waste management, energy etc.

Both sides, he noted, had a substantial and confident dialogue in the field of energy, particularly on Europe’s energy issues. He said Qatar and France are moving forward in the areas of educational cooperation and cultural ties.

France is establishing long-lasting partnership with Qatar Museum. Teams of French experts are involved in projects like the Orientalist Museum, by 2027, and the Art Mill Museum planned for 2028. Moreover, soon an agreement will be signed on cooperation between Sports Museums (or 3 2 1 Museum) and the National Sports Museum in Nice.

Doha, 14 July 2022 (QT)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

THE Republic of Turkiye was able to overcome crisis in no time and has been busy building its future since the coup attempt that targeted the Turkish government and people on July 15, 2016, the Turkish ambassador to Qatar has said, adding that the terrorist organization FETO’s plot failed thanks to the vigilance of the Turkish people.

Talking to journalists at his official residence marking the 6th anniversary of the Democracy and National Unity Day that falls on July 15, Dr. Mustafa Goksu said that Turkiye achieved democratic gains with strengthened capabilities.

“Türkiye nipped this strife in the bud and was able to rebuild the state’s apparatus to ensure the crisis is not repeated, so that Türkiye remains a country enjoying democracy and peaceful transfer of power through elections and ballot boxes, and not ammunition boxes,” he said.

Those present on the occasion were Ayse Varank Arsalanturk and Sule Yilmaz, visiting members of two victim families who were martyred during the Turkish people’s stand against the failed military coup by a section of military forces.

The two women were special guests on the 6th anniversary event in Doha. They also visited the Turkish military base in Qatar and met community members separately.

Around 250 people were killed and nearly 1,500 people were injured in the horrific event on July 15, 2016. A collection of pictures displaying Turkish public facing armed military rebels and their sacrifices was one of the highlights of the event.

Paying his gratitude to the Qatari leadership and the people, Dr. Mustafa Goksu said that Türkiye has always praised the position of Qatar, which was one of the first countries to announce its solidarity with the constitutional legitimacy of the Republic of Türkiye, and rejected the coup attempt.

The Turkish envoy also acknowledged the solidarity expressed by the Qatari people with Türkiye through various means at that time. “Turkiye has not and will not forget Qatari stance in support of the constitutional legitimacy in Türkiye,” he stressed.

Türkiye hosts nearly 4 million displaced people including 3.7 million Syrians, who were forced to flee the devastation in their own country have been under the temporary protection of the Turkish State.

Dr. Goksu pointed out that Turkey has spent nearly $40 billion on the Syrians since 2011 in order to provide all kinds of service and assistance. On the other hand, Turkey supports dignified voluntary return of Syrians to Syria, and “thanks to our efforts, hundreds of thousands of Syrians were able to return back
to their homes”.

The envoy said, “The customs and traditions of the Turkish state, which are based on human values and dignity, require us to take the lead in the field of humanitarian and development assistance as well. The first World Humanitarian Summit was held in Istanbul in 2016. Turkey is the most generous country in the world on the basis of per capita humanitarian spending compared to national income.”

Talking about Türkiye’s role in regional and international issues, he said that along with achieving tangible goals that were set under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the country will not only raise the levels of peace and prosperity, but will at the same time enhance the contribution that
Türkiye makes to the region and the world. In this regard, he gave examples of Syria, Libya and the recent rapprochement between Turkiye and Gulf states.

He said that bilateral relations between Qatar and Turkiye are exemplary in all fields in order to ensure stability, peace and prosperity in the region and in the Islamic world.

“Turkey welcomes the first World Cup to be held in an Islamic country being hosted by Qatar; it will be successful as well as further enhance Qatar’s position on the world sports map as a major sports destination. We are closely following the process of organising the 2022 FIFA World Cup. President Erdogan gave us the green light to put all our efforts and capabilities in the service of the success of this event. through cooperation in the security field and in organising major events. We are like a brother waiting for his brother’s wedding,” he said.

On the economic situation in his country, Ambassador Mustafa Göksu said, “The performance of the Turkish economy appeared in a strong manner with the lifting of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the national income grew by 21.7% in the second quarter of this year, the second country with
the highest growth rate in the world after the United Kingdom.”

“The main indicators show that Turkish economic activity continued to maintain its strength in the third quarter of this year, supported by strong foreign demand,” he added. “There are some temporary challenges related to fluctuations in the exchange rate of the local currency, rising import bills and food prices,
and increasing inflation in the country. However, it is expected that the temporary factors affecting inflation expectations will lose their effect in the short term, and inflation will enter a downward trend in the last quarter of this year,” he noted.

The Turkish ambassador said that upon completion of establishing of ‘Istanbul Financial Center’, presently completed 81%, will be playing an important role in the field of financing at the regional and international levels, and the Gulf countries intend to participate in the center. “It is forecast that the center will be generating an income of $250 billion, as well as an added value that will be injected into the Turkish economy in a sustainable manner, whose total value is expected to reach more than $160 billion after 15 years of operation.”