Mikati, Charbel meet Turkish counterparts in Istanbul

Lebanese PM Najib Mikati held a meeting on Thursday with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Istanbul where both discussed the general situation and the issue of 11 Lebanese hostages kidnapped in Syria. Another in-depth meeting between the two, will be held again tonight.

From the Alliance of Civilizations Partners Forum, the Premiere boasted on Lebanon’s exemplary coexistence model asking Turkey to help in sustaining it. The PM summoned officials to hold the conference in Lebanon, so that “they could witness for themselves the Lebanese experience of coexistence”.

On the list of meetings for Mikati is Brazilian Vice President Michael Tammer, Yemeni PM Mohamed Salem Basendua, Bahrain Deputy PM Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Saudi Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, and the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

For his part, Lebanese Minister of Interior Marwan Charbel met his Turkish counterpart and head of Turkish intelligence.

Sources confirmed to LBCI that Mikati may hold a meeting with UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon who happens to be in Turkey as well.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour will also be holding talks with Turkish officials to discuss the matter of the Lebanese detainees.

Mikati and his accompanying delegation are set to leave Istanbul tomorrow.