Funeral prayers have been held in Ankara and Doha to mourn seven victims of a helicopter crash involving Qatari and Turkish personnel.
In Ankara, a ceremony took place at a mosque for state-owned defense firm Aselsan technicians Süleyman Cemre Kahraman and İsmail Enes Can, who were among those killed. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli attended the service.
Funeral prayers were also held in Doha with the participation of Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, his personal representative Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Türkiye’s ambassador to Doha, Mustafa Göksu, also attended alongside members of the Qatari Armed Forces and joint forces of the two countries. The victims were later buried at Mesaimeer Cemetery.
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said on March 22 that a military helicopter crashed into regional waters during a routine mission after suffering a technical malfunction. Authorities confirmed that all seven people on board — four Qatari military personnel and three Turkish nationals — were killed following a search-and-rescue operation lasting several hours.
The Qatari victims were identified as captains Mubarak Salem Dawai Al-Marri and Saeed Nasser Smeikh, Sergeant Fahad Hadi Ghanem Al-Khayareen and Corporal Mohammed Maher Mohammed. Türkiye named its dead as Air Cavalry Major Sinan Taştekin and Aselsan's Kahraman and Can.
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said the aircraft, belonging to the Qatari Armed Forces, had been conducting training under the Qatar–Turkish Combined Joint Force Command when it went down late on March 21. The exact cause of the crash will be determined following an investigation by Qatari authorities.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed deep sorrow over the incident and conveyed solidarity with Qatar.
Condolences also poured in from across the region. The foreign ministries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan and Syria issued statements expressing sympathy and support for both countries.
The crash comes amid heightened regional tensions following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28, and Tehran’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military assets.
Türkiye has avoided direct strikes, despite U.S. troops being stationed at several bases in the country. Meanwhile, three ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward Turkish airspace were intercepted by NATO air defense systems earlier this month.
