Speaker Berri, Turkey's FM Davutoglu tackle case of Lebanese hostages in Aazaz

Speaker Nabih Berri received on Monday a phone call from Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in which they tackled the case of the Lebanese hostages in Syria's Aazaz, the two abducted Turkish pilots, as well as the two kidnapped Syrian bishops.

Both men reportedly discussed the latest efforts being deployed by all concerned authorities in this regard.

On Friday the 9th of August, gunmen intercepted a Turkish Airlines' bus at the Cocodi Bridge in Beirut and kidnapped two crew members, a pilot and a co-pilot.

The bus carrying the crew members was heading from the Beirut International Airport towards a hotel in Ain El-Mrayseh.

While well-informed sources linked the abduction to the case of the Lebanese hostages held in Aazaz, the relatives of the Aazaz hostages denied being involved in the operation.

The incident triggered a chain of reactions mainly from the Turkish side, the most prominent being the call launched by the Turkish foreign ministry on its nationals to leave Lebanon.

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.

Their families have vowed to continue their movements until all their loved ones have returned home "safe and sound".

They accuse Ankara of sponsoring the kidnapping and the Lebanese government of inaptness in this regard.

This as the two Syrian bishops kidnapped by gunmen on Monday April 22nd are still missing, church sources in Damascus and Aleppo said last Wednesday, contradicting a report that the men had been freed.

Pope Francis urged the release of the two Aleppian bishops, 2 days after their disappearance. They have been identified as Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo and Alexandria Boulos Yaziji, and Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo Yuhanna Ibrahim.