DOHA: The foreign ministers of Türkiye and Qatar accused the international community of "double standards" on Wednesday in its reaction to the escalating conflict in Gaza.
Qatar's top diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said the two governments — both Western allies — "reaffirm our complete rejection of responding to the crisis with double standards when it comes to human life".
"It is not permissible to condemn the killing of civilians in one context and justify it in another." Al-Thani, who also serves as Qatar's prime minister, said.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7.
Gaza's health ministry says at least 6,546 people have been killed in the war so far, many of them children.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said: "The failure of some American and north European countries to condemn and prevent the destruction and disaster in Gaza constitutes a very serious double standard and plays a destabilising role.
"The operation in Gaza should be stopped as soon as possible. Humanitarian corridors should be opened," he added.
Both Türkiye and Qatar have been strong supporters of the Palestinian cause and have open channels of communication.
The Qatari minister said the only way to restore peace in and around Gaza was to keep channels of communication open.
He said Doha and Ankara would continue to coordinate with each other and regional partners to de-escalate the conflict.
He condemned criticism of Qatar's position, saying that such comments "undermine existing efforts, risk lives and cannot be understood except in the context of political blackmail". — AFP
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