Four Relatives of Aazaz Pilgrims Summoned over Links to Turkish Pilots' Abduction

Four people have been summoned for investigation over their links to the abduction of the two Turkish pilots in Beirut last week, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Thursday.

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told the daily that the individuals are relatives and friends of the Lebanese pilgrims held in Syria's Aazaz region.

He added that they willingly complied with the judiciary's summoning request.

He revealed that their names were divulged by Mohammed Saleh, another relative of the pilgrims who was arrested on Sunday over his links to the pilots' kidnapping.

Charbel had held talks on Wednesday with Turkish deputy Army Intelligence chief Abdul Rahman Baljak and an accompanying delegation on the pilots' abduction and the case of Lebanese pilgrims held in Aazaz.

The delegation later held talks with acting Internal Security Forces chief Ibrahim Basbous.

Al-Joumhouria said that the Lebanese delegation refused to offer the Turkish officials any details over the course of the investigation, explaining that they will remain secret until tangible results are reached.

A Turkish pilot and co-pilot were kidnapped by gunmen in Beirut on Friday.

The attack prompted Turkey to issue a travel warning urging its citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Lebanon and those already present in the country to leave.

The relatives of Lebanese pilgrims held in Aazaz were quick to deny having any links to the abduction.

The families of the pilgrims have repeatedly accused Turkey of being responsible for the release of their loved ones, warning that they will target Turkish interests in Lebanon in order to pressure Ankara to resolve the case.

In May 2012, eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage from Iran.

Two of them have since been released, while the rest remain held in Aazaz.