DM Monitoring
ANKARA: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received former Lebanese premier Saad Hariri, discussing bilateral relations, politics, economy, trade and culture.
According to a statement from Turkey’s Directorate of Communications, the two leaders confirmed their determination to continue cooperating in every field and enhance ties to a further level.
Back in August 2020, Turkey provided a series of aid to Lebanon following a deadly blast that killed at least 135 people and injured thousands.
Turkey was also one of the first countries to come to Lebanon’s aid after the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel by transferring $20 million worth of humanitarian aid through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Turkey has always attached importance to the stability, security and prosperity of Lebanon.
Lebanon’s president in October 2020 assigned Hariri, the leader of the Future Movement, to form the country’s new government, less than a year after Hariri’s last government resigned.
Hariri served as premier twice, from 2009 to 2011 and from 2016 to this January, before being replaced by the current government.
He comes from a political dynasty, as the son of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005.
Earlier, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Saturday that Turkey is pleased about the safe return of Ukrainian sailors who were detained in Libya, responding to a post by his Ukrainian counterpart on Saturday.
“My treasured friend @ZelenskyyUa (Volodymyr Zelenskiy), we are pleased that Ukrainian sailors have returned home safe and sound,” Erdoğan said in reference to Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s tweet on Friday mentioning the role of the Turkish president.
“Together, we will continue to struggle for all our friends, for all our brothers and sisters anywhere in the world,” Erdoğan added.
Zelenskiy expressed appreciation Friday to Erdoğan for his role in the evacuation of a Ukrainian crew after five years of detention.
“Glad to welcome our sailors, members of the Captain Khayyam tanker’s crew, at home after 5 years of detention in #Libya! #Ukraine never forgets and doesn’t leave its people in trouble,” he said on Twitter.
“Special thanks to @RTErdogan for helping to evacuate our citizens,” the Ukrainian president added.
The sailors, detained in the North African country in 2016, were sentenced to five years in prison in December 2017.
They were released this week and reached Ukraine on Friday.
