Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan voiced his country's support for security, stability and peaceful coexistence between all factions in Lebanon.
“Our region is going through
critical times where the Lebanese people are in dire need of peaceful
coexistence,” he said following his meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Ankara. Erdogan hoped that the current differences in Lebanon will be settled
through dialogue.
"Lebanon
has suffered a lot because of Syria which wronged it for years," he said, adding that his country intervened
to end the Syrian occupation of Lebanon.
“Our problem is with the
Syrian regime; but we will always stand by the Syrian people and their will,” he said wishing for the Syrian people to achieve freedom.
On the issue of Lebanese pilgrims detained in Aazaz, Erdogan said "we are exerting efforts to release them and sooner or later we will reach our goal."
In turn, Mikati said
that discussions with the Turkish Prime Minister revolved around the issue of
Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Turkey among other issues, stressing that the Lebanese-Turkish relations are "solid and honest."
“I asked the Turkish
authorities to exert pressure on Syrian rebels in Aazaz to release the
kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims,” he said.
On another note, Mikati said that reports about Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese-Syrian border are not confirmed yet.
Mikati had arrived to the Prime Ministry headquarters in Ankara where he was received by an official welcoming ceremony. Erdogan
and Mikati stood up on the official podium to the sound of the Lebanese
and Turkish national anthems then shook the hands of all the members of
the Lebanese and Turkish delegations.
When Mikati arrived in
Ankara earlier on Wednesday, he met with Turkish president Abdullah Gul
in the presence of the accompanying Lebanese delegation, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, his deputy Omer Onhon and the Turkish
ambassador to Lebanon Inan Ozyildiz. Gul reportedly congratulated Lebanon on its disassociation policy "which has protected the country and preserved its stability."
Gul added “It is unclear
when the Syrian crisis will end; we hope that it will end without revenge, and
that elections will be held.”
Mikati said that the
situation in Lebanon is very critical, adding “we need help and we are
concerned over the time and manner in which the Syrian crisis will come to an
end and on the phase that will follow.”
In a related context,
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said that the issue of Lebanese
abductees in Aazaz was at the core of discussions with Turkish President
Abdullah Gul.