Turkish president in Qatar for 2022 FIFA World Cup

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday arrived in the capital Doha to attend the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Erdogan also attended a reception hosted by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. During the reception, Erdogan held brief conversations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah.

Other world leaders Erdogan chatted with include Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, and the ruler of Dubai.

Erdogan, a onetime semi-professional football player in his youth, is also set to watch the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador.

Under a bilateral security cooperation agreement, Ankara deployed more than 3,000 police officers and security personnel to provide security for the World Cup with their Qatari counterparts.

The international football tournament runs through Dec. 18.