Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Wednesday where the leaders held bilateral talks.
Mikati informed Erdoğan of the situation on the ground in Lebanon, which has seen many of its cities attacked as Israeli attacks intensified against the Lebanon-based Hezbollah armed group.
Mikati outlined in the closed-door meeting with the Turkish leader, that Israel, despite a ceasefire agreement, is continuing to violate Lebanese territory.
“The international community must continue to pressure Israel to strictly comply with the ceasefire,” said Erdoğan, speaking in a joint press briefing after the meeting.
Erdoğan continued saying “[Israel must] compensate for the damage it has caused in Lebanon. We will continue to do our part in this regard.”
The Turkish president says Ankara’s policy towards the Middle East has been consistent. Only a ceasefire in Gaza can truly bring about stability and prevent a spillover of the fighting in the neighbouring countries.
Erdoğan also criticised Israel saying “Whoever believes they can increase their security by shedding more blood, destroying more, annihilating and massacring civilians is in a grave error. We witness that the Israeli government still doesn’t understand this reality, or more accurately, doesn’t want to understand it.”
He reiterated his country’s support to Lebanon and its people, pledging to continue standing by its side with “all its available means against Israeli aggression.” Erdoğan praised PM Mikati for his leadership and management of the country during these difficult months.
The Lebanese premier thanked the Turkish president for Ankara’s support but noted that the situation is still dire in his country.
“Our country has suffered, and continues to suffer greatly, from the Israeli aggression against it, which, for months now, has left human, economic, financial, social and environmental repercussions that are no longer hidden from anyone,” says Mikati.
Mikati stressed that Israel is continuing to violate Lebanon’s sovereignty and threatens its territorial integrity with daily direct military actions. He says “These actions are in breach of the commitments outlined in the ceasefire agreement.”
The two leaders also spoke on the ongoing developments in neighbouring Syria
Syria is neighbours to both Türkiye on its northern borders and Lebanon in its southwestern regions.
Long-time Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted after a dramatic rebellion forced him to flee the country on 8 December.
Since then, Israel has been reportedly striking multiple targets in Syria, including the outskirts of the capital Damascus. Israel claims its strikes have only targeted key military targets, including strategic weapons stockpiles and military assets.
Their aim is to create a “sterile defence zone” in southern Syria and stated that their only objective is to prevent dangerous weapons from landing in the hands of extremists, potentially threatening their national security.
Only hours after Assad’s government collapsed, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Israeli military to advance to a buffer zone; established in 1974 between Israel and Syria, in the Golan heights and occupy it.
He says the move was necessary for his country’s security as al-Assad’s forces had withdrawn, leaving room for potential danger. He says his forces will not withdraw until another security arrangement is found. But countries in the region including the Arab league criticised the move labelling it an attack on Syria’s territory, both Türkiye and Lebanon share that view.
- Israel strikes Syrian military sites while troops move into Golan Heights buffer zone
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“Protecting Syria’s territorial integrity and unitary structure is likewise another matter on which our country will never compromise. Türkiye will stand by the Syrian people in this process, as it has done since the beginning of the conflict, and will provide all necessary contributions,” says Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an apparent warning to Israel.
He continued saying that Ankara will stand by the people of Syria who’ve withstood decades of pain, suffering and agony. Erdoğan says the reconstruction of Syria, restoration of normal life and the establishment of a permanent, inclusive and encompassing administration that represents Syria’s diverse base of religions, cultures, tribes and ethnicities is a priority for Türkiye.
Mikati hailed Ankara’s pivotal role in ensuring the region’s stability, particularly in Syria. “Syria, which is witnessing an Israeli occupation of part of its land. There must be strong pressure to end this occupation immediately. We also wish the brotherly Syrian people freedom and stability, while affirming Syria’s unity, the unity of its people and its full sovereignty over its territories,” added the Lebanese prime minister.
Mikati also expressed Beirut’s desire to work with the Syrian people to achieve the best possible Lebanese-Syrian relations. He detailed that his country hopes to forge ties with Damascus, based on mutual respect, cooperation and good neighbourliness.
