Erdogan says Turkey seeks to join a post-UNIFIL security force in Lebanon
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey is interested in participating in a new security initiative for Lebanon when the 7,500-member UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon expires at the end of the year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a press statement with his Lebanese counterpart on Thursday.The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously last year to terminate the peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL, bowing to demands from Israel and the US. Israel says the 48-year-old mission did not fulfill its mandate and failed to prevent the military buildup of Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah.Speaking alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Ankara, Erdogan said that “after the withdrawal of the current international force, Turkey wants to take part in all initiatives that will be launched to support security in the region and ensure Lebanon’s sovereignty.”“The end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, deployed in southern…
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Turkey's interest in joining a new security initiative in Lebanon after the 7,500-member UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) concludes at the end of the year. The UN Security Council voted to terminate UNIFIL following demands from Israel and the US, who argued the mission failed to prevent Hezbollah's military buildup. Speaking alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Ankara, Erdogan stated, "after the withdrawal of the current international force, Turkey wants to take part in all initiatives that will be launched to support security in the region and ensure Lebanon’s sovereignty." Aoun expressed a desire for stronger Lebanese-Turkish relations, calling it a "crucial moment in which we are restoring our region and reshaping its future." Erdogan also pledged support for Lebanon's post-war economic recovery and its armed forces, and urged increased dialogue between Lebanon and Syria.
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