Lebanese President: Turkey has a leading role that can stop Israeli occupation attacks and accelerate reconstruction

Beirut, July 30 (KUNA) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Thursday that Turkey has extensive relations that enable it to play a leading role in halting the attacks by Israeli occupation forces, stressing that Lebanon “can no longer endure more wars.” This was stated in a statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency following President Aoun’s return to Beirut from Ankara, after an official visit during which he held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields.

According to the statement, Aoun said that the occupation forces’ destruction and leveling of Lebanese villages, as well as their targeting of schools, places of worship, and historical sites, constitute a blatant violation of international conventions and the framework agreement reached under US sponsorship.

He considered that his visit to Ankara and the previous visit by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reflect a transition in relations between the two countries to the level of a strategic partnership, expressing his gratitude to Turkey for its steadfast support of Lebanon, its assistance to the Lebanese Army, and its participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The statement noted that the visit also covered areas of cooperation in which Ankara could assist, particularly in training the Lebanese Army and providing equipment, as well as supplying prefabricated houses to contribute to the return of displaced persons to their villages, along with cooperation in the fields of electricity, oil, infrastructure, and air transport.

The statement added that at the conclusion of the talks, President Aoun extended an official invitation to President Erdogan to visit Lebanon, to which the Turkish president expressed his gratitude and pledged to accept. (End) F.Z / F.A.S