Charbel holds “constructive meetings” in Turkey to release Lebanese hostages in Aazaz

Caretaker Interior and Municipalities Minister Marwan Charbel and the General Director of General Security Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim returned on Friday night to Beirut from a two-day trip to Turkey, where they continued negotiations with Qatari and Turkish officials concerning the case of the Lebanese hostages in Aazaz.              

In this regard, the media office of caretaker minister Charbel issued a statement whereby it declared that the discussions focused on the list of the names of female detainees in Syrian jails, who were handed over by the Turkish authorities to the kidnappers, who in turn transferred them to Lebanon.                

The statement added that “the negotiations held in Turkey with Qatari and Turkish officials were constructive and achieved significant progress in the case,” hoping that the nine Lebanese hostages in Aazaz will be released as soon as possible.”                

Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped on their way back from Iran by insurgents hoping to use them for a prisoner swap on the 22nd of May. Only two have so far been released.