Türkiye to continue providing aid to Lebanon: FM

Turkish citizens evacuated from Lebanon arrive in Mersin, southern Türkiye, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)
ANKARA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) — Türkiye said Thursday it will continue providing aid to Lebanon amid escalating Israeli-Hezbollah tensions.
“Our ships that safely evacuated our citizens in Lebanon and brought humanitarian aid to the brotherly Lebanese people left Beirut and set off for (the city of) Mersin,” Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on social media platform X.
Türkiye will “continue to extend a helping hand” to the people in Lebanon “in the face of the humanitarian crisis created by the war spread by Israel in the region,” Fidan said.
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry said Thursday that the country’s ships and aircraft are prepared for additional evacuations from Lebanon if needed.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, there are 13,000-14,000 Turkish citizens in Lebanon, with 2,000 having applied for evacuation. Turkish ships have so far evacuated 966 people from Lebanon, including 878 Turkish nationals. ■

A Turkish man evacuated from Lebanon arrives in Mersin, southern Türkiye, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Turkish citizens evacuated from Lebanon arrive in Mersin, southern Türkiye, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Turkish children evacuated from Lebanon arrive in Mersin, southern Türkiye, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

A Turkish woman evacuated from Lebanon arrives in Mersin, southern Türkiye, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

A Turkish girl evacuated from Lebanon arrives in Mersin, southern Türkiye, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)