Mansour: Turkey cannot be held responsible for the Lebanese pilgrims' kidnapping

                                     
Caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour asserted on Tuesday that the letters exchanged between embassies are always carried out according to certain norms and diplomatic traditions, over which the Ministry was keen.                   

He also noted that the content of these letters cannot be declared to the media outlets.                                     
The caretaker minister's remarks come after the March 14 alliance criticized not handing Syria's Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali a letter of protest pertaining to the Syrian violations of Lebanese territories.  

Last week, Lebanese officials agreed to submit to the Arab League a letter of protest condemning the spillover of the Syrian crisis into Lebanon.

Asked about the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria, the Caretaker Minister said that Turkey cannot bear the responsibility in that respect because the Lebanese were abducted on Syrian grounds and by Syrian groups.                        

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.                                                  

Last week they prevented several Syrian nationals who operate businesses in some Beirut areas from opening shop, stating that such movements symbolize their sense of desperation.                                        
Last Friday they also held a major demonstration in Martyrs Square before the Turkish Airline Offices whereby they announced that they would be calling for the boycott of all Turkish products in Lebanon since "Lebanon imports a billion dollars worth of products from Ankara on a yearly basis."                              
Since then they have also prevented Turkish trucks from offloading shipments at the Karantina dock.