Turkish police complete duties in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

ANKARA

Turkish police officers successfully completed their duties in Qatar as the FIFA World Cup 2022 came to a close, the Turkish General Directorate of Security said on Monday.

In a written statement, the national police force said a total of 2,242 personnel, consisting of 20 commissioners in advisor roles, along with 2,000 riot police, 70 bomb specialists, and medical staff with expertise in sports safety, fulfilled their roles in all stadiums where the tournament was held, as well as in the festival area and other places where they were needed.

The Turkish Police Task Force served at the FIFA Fan Festival, a venue with a 40,000-person capacity, at the hotels where the national football teams stayed, at the eight stadiums that hosted the matches, and at ticket offices and training areas.

They served in a total of 64 competitions, while Ankara also sent 50 bomb-sniffing dogs to help keep the tournament secure.

"Thanks to the effective preventive and deterrent security measures taken, no unfortunate incidents experienced in previous championships occurred," said the statement.

It added that by demonstrating its discipline and experience on the ground, the Turkish police force gained appreciation from everyone, particularly the Qatari authorities.

The task force, formed to support the security measures taken at the World Cup, arrived in Qatar at the beginning of October and began to work in coordination with Qatari police and the security forces of other countries, noted the general directorate.

The tournament, which began on Nov. 20 and ended on Dec. 18, was the first FIFA World Cup hosted by an Arab country.