Sleiman: Protests across various Lebanese regions will not sow sedition

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman held talks on Tuesday with Turkish officials in Ankara during which they discussed the issue of the 11 Lebanese abductees in Syria.

Sleiman met with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan.

Sources reported that Turkey confirmed to Lebanon that “Turkish authorities will do everything within their power to find the abductees”, stressing that there are no information so far about their situation.

Sleiman left Lebanon and headed to Turkey on board a private jet, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Samir Mouqbel, on Tuesday morning.                

Separately, in an interview with the Kuwaiti Journalist's Association, Sleiman stressed that “so long as we are committed to the Taef accord there is no fear of war or civil strife in Lebanon”, noting that the protests and movements taking place in various regions will not escalate to proportions of volatility.            

Commenting on the situation in South Lebanon, Sleiman said that the movement on Sidon’s road is a “big mistake since Sidon’s residents are affected the most”. He pointed that Beirut's Southern Suburbs residents are also affected by the sporadic blockades impeding the international airport roads as much as Tripoli residents get affected by blocking Tripoli’s Square.              

The President stressed that efforts are ongoing to open Sidon’s road, hoping that the residents will end their sit-in once the month of Ramadan starts.                 

Commenting on the Syrian situation, Sleiman called on all Syrian parties to hold dialogue, without exclusion, to find a solution for the crisis.