Turkish, Lebanese presidents discuss bilateral ties, regional developments

ANKARA/ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun discussed bilateral relations and regional matters, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said on Tuesday.

During a phone call, Erdogan emphasized Türkiye’s continued support for Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty, according to the statement.

He also noted that the two countries “have significant potential in the fields of trade and investment.”

Erdogan expressed Ankara’s readiness to contribute to international mechanisms that aim to enhance Lebanon’s security.

He also underscored Türkiye’s opposition to “Israel’s aggressive posture toward Lebanon,” the statement added.

Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire in November 2024 after more than a year of cross-border attacks amid the war in Gaza. More than 4,000 people were killed, and 17,000 others were injured.

Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January, but have only partially pulled out, maintaining a military presence at five border outposts.

Turkish Cypriots

Erdogan further stated that Türkiye expects Lebanon to adopt a stance that protects the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots.

Cyprus has remained divided for decades between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots despite repeated UN-led efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement.

Intercommunal violence in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece prompted Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power. The TRNC was later declared in 1983.

Peace efforts have continued intermittently, including a failed round of talks in Switzerland in 2017 under the auspices of guarantor powers Türkiye, Greece, and the UK.

The Greek Cypriot Administration joined the European Union in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots rejected a UN-backed reunification plan in a referendum.

Syria

On regional developments, Erdogan reiterated the country's commitment to supporting positive transformations in Syria that could contribute to broader regional stability.

Despite the fact that the Syrian government poses no threat, Israeli forces have repeatedly entered Syrian territory and launched airstrikes, killing civilians and destroying Syrian military sites, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition.

Syrian government data shows that since December 2024, Israel has carried out over 1,000 airstrikes on Syria and more than 400 cross-border raids into the southern provinces.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 agreement with Syria.