Turkey is making preparations for the possible evacuation of its citizens and foreign nationals from Lebanon, as cross-border fire between Israel and militant group Hezbollah continues there, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday.
No evacuation plan has been implemented by Turkey at this time © Mena Today
Turkey is making preparations for the possible evacuation of its citizens and foreign nationals from Lebanon, as cross-border fire between Israel and militant group Hezbollah continues there, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday.
The military has the "capability and resources to carry out any mission assigned to it for the safe evacuation of our citizens or foreign nationals from Lebanon," the source said during a briefing.
"Preliminary planning and preparations for a potential evacuation operation are being made," the person said, adding Turkey had successfully completed such operations before and was closely following developments in Lebanon.
Israel widened its airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday and at least 72 people were killed, according to a Reuters compilation of Lebanese health ministry statements.
Several allies, including the United States and France, also called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border.
Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu
In his first press conference since the outbreak of war against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out Thursday, on day 13 of the joint US-Israel offensive, a bold and explicit three-part war agenda that goes far beyond military strikes.
Israeli airstrikes hit a building in the heart of Beirut on Thursday and Israel ordered residents out of another swathe of southern Lebanon, intensifying its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has once again chosen distortion over facts. In comments delivered Thursday in Ankara, he accused Israel of pursuing an “expansionist policy” and waging a “dirty war” in Lebanon.
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