Turkish FM in Beirut, Holds Talks with Senior Officials

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu kicked off a visit to Beirut on Friday where he held meetings with senior Lebanese officials.

Cavusoglu first held a meeting with newly elected President Michel Aoun at the Presidential Palace. He conveyed a message from Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan congratulating the Lebanese Head of State on his election, and reiterating the importance of strengthening the Turkish-Lebanese relations.

The Turkish FM emphasized that “stability is an important factor in Lebanon.”

Touching on the influx of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the repercussions of the Syrian exodus on Lebanon, Aoun highlighted the “need for reaching a political solution in Syria.”

Cavusoglu later held a meeting with caretaker PM Tammam Salam at his residence in al-Msaytbeh.

The Turkish diplomat later met with FM Jebran Bassil and stressed in a joint press conference “the importance of stability in Lebanon.”

He added that Syrian President Bashar Assad “can't stay in power and no one can deny his responsibility for the death of thousands of Syrian civilians.”

He also called for a political solution in Syria and for the eradication of terrorism, as he hailed Lebanon's role in receiving the displaced Syrians, he said: “Syria's stability and security must be strengthened. There is a joint understanding on the need for a ceasefire and announce a truce in Syria because the situation in Aleppo is worrisome and a political solution is appropriate.”