Families of Aazaz Pilgrims Sneak into Turkish Cultural Center, Detain its Director

The families of the Lebanese pilgrims held in Syria's Aazaz region sneaked into the Turkish Cultural Center in downtown Beirut on Monday to protest the ongoing abduction of their loved ones, reported LBCI television.

They then headed to the office of the center's director, where they said that they would keep him locked up until the building is shut down.

Spokeswoman for the families Hayat Awali told LBCI that the director had pledged to close the center, but he failed to do so.

The families will therefore remain in the building until it is shut down, she explained.

She added that the relatives of the pilgrims sneaked into the building through the backdoor.

"The families' move is legitimate and I laud their positivity in ending the protest, because they want the success of Maj. Gen. Ibrahim's efforts,” Sheikh Abbas Zgheib, who has been tasked by the Higher Islamic Shiite Council to follow up the case of the abducted Lebanese pilgrims, said outsite the Turkish Cyltural Center.

“The families' protests are open-ended because they are legitimate and we cannot impose on them a certain timing for their moves, but we urge them to keep the protests peaceful.”

Zgheib warned: “Turkey must understand that all options are on the table if they don't cooperate in the case of the abductees and they must exert more practical steps.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Shoaib, the brother of pilgrim Abbas Shoaib, told reporters: “Out protest has ended and we staged it because of the insolence of the Ottoman ambassador who has crossed all limits.”

MTV said that the security forces at the facility had been guarding the front door as part of the routine security measures imposed at diplomatic centers.

On May 9, the families briefly blocked the road near the Turkish Cultural Center amid heavy security deployment.

In May 2012, 11 pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage in Iran.

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

The families of the captives have held Turkey mainly responsible for their ongoing abduction, vowing to target Turkish interests in Lebanon in order to pressure Ankara to exert efforts to release the pilgrims.

They have held demonstrations near the headquarters of Turkish Airlines in Beirut as part of these actions.