UPDATES WITH TURKISH PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Diyar Guldogan
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Argentina on its World Cup triumph on Sunday.
“I sincerely congratulate Argentina and all Argentines, who became the 2022 FIFA World Cup Champions after one of the most closely contested final matches in history,” Erdogan said on Twitter after Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties in a thrilling game.
At the invitation of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Erdogan traveled to Qatar’s capital Doha to attend the closing ceremony and the showpiece fixture.
He watched the game alongside al-Thani, French President Emmanuel Macron, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Erdogan, a semi-professional football player in his youth, also attended the World Cup opening ceremony on Nov. 20, where he met with several world leaders.
As part of bilateral security cooperation, Ankara deployed more than 3,000 police officers and security personnel to provide security along with their Qatari counterparts for the world’s premier football tournament.