Turkish envoy hails Qatar’s support to quake-hit Turkey

Turkish Ambassador to Qatar Mustafa Göksu has hailed the Gulf state's solidarity with Turkey after a powerful earthquake in the Aegean region killed at least 83 people.

In a statement on Sunday, the diplomat said he had received many calls from Qatari officials and locals offering to provide assistance to Turkey in the wake of the quake.

"We thank our Qatari friends and brothers for their solidarity over the quake," Göksu said.

The diplomat also praised a call made by Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. "This stand is not surprising from the brotherly State of Qatar, which has positive positions with Turkey," he said.

At least 83 people were killed and 962 were wounded in the magnitude-6.6 quake that struck Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, on Friday.