One Turkish soldier, two technicians killed in chopper accident in Qatar: Defense Ministry

DOHA

One Turkish serviceman and two technicians were killed in a helicopter accident in Qatar, the Turkish defense ministry has announced.

According to a written statement by the ministry on March 22, a Qatari military helicopter on a training mission crashed on late March 21 in the sea due to a technical reason.

It said one Turkish soldier and two technicians from Turkish defense firm, Aselsan, were on board along with other four Qatari military personnel.

Türkiye and Qatar are in close military cooperation since the two countries leveled their ties to a strategic level in the past decade, prompting the former to establish a base in Qatar and deploy air, land and naval forces.

The accident occurred while the helicopter was on a routine training mission as part of continued protocols and coordination between the two countries, the ministry said, adding the details of the accident will be figured out as a result of investigations to be carried out by local authorities in Qatar.

Search and rescue teams found the wreck of the helicopter and six bodies while special operations continue ‌to search for another missing person, the Qatari officials stated.

The incident occurred amid heightened tension in the region due to ongoing war between the U.S.-Israel and Iran. The latter fired missiles against American military bases and energy infrastructure in the Gulf countries, including Qatar, in retaliation to American-Israeli aggression.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was in Qatar over the weekend and visited the Turkish base in Qatar to voice his support to the Turkish troops and ongoing cooperation with Qatar.