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Reports: Turkey in bid to ease internal tension in Lebanon
An Israeli media report on Tuesday, meanwhile, suggested that Turkey is working to prevent Lebanese ships from attempting to sail to Gaza in violation of an Israeli blockade on the Hamas-run territory. Ankara deems additional flotillas pointless after the blockade of Gaza was partially lifted, anonymous Israeli officials told the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.
Officials at the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Ankara were not immediately available for comment on these reports, when approached by Today’s Zaman on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the report by the Lebanon-based Safir newspaper, Turkey has stepped in to diffuse tension in Lebanon. The informed sources told the Safir daily that Turkish delegates are holding meetings in several countries, including talks in Damascus, to ease likely tension over the expected announcement of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s findings next fall.
The sources were apparently referring to meetings overseen by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in Damascus. While in the Syrian capital, Davutoğlu had talks with both Syrian President al-Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, the son of the assassinated former prime minister, Rafik al-Hariri.
Saad al-Hariri, who initially blamed Syria for his father’s death, has since tried to ease tensions with Syria and has made several trips to Damascus to meet with Assad. Syria has denied any involvement in Rafik al-Hariri’s killing.
Over the weekend, Nasrallah said he expected that many members of his group would face indictment as part of the UN investigation into the killing of Rafik al-Hariri. The indictment of Hezbullah members for Rafik al-Hariri’s killing would put severe strains on Lebanon’s unity government, led by al-Hariri’s son, and which includes Hezbullah ministers.
‘Turkey working to prevent Lebanese ships going to Gaza’
Officials in Jerusalem were surprised to learn that Turkey is working to prevent Lebanese ships from attempting to sail to Gaza in violation of an Israeli blockade on the Hamas-run territory, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported Tuesday.
Israeli officials said Davutoğlu, who visited Damascus last week and also met with Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri there, asked the Lebanese government to prevent the flotilla’s departure in an attempt by Ankara to ease tensions with Israel.
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