Turkish nationals evacuated from Lebanon for 1st time in 18 years

By Eren Bozkurt and Serkan Avci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Semsi Hasan from southeastern Türkiye is again being taken home by the Turkish Navy, for the first time in 18 years, following his evacuation by ship in 2006, during the 34-day war between Israel and Lebanon.

Turkish naval amphibious ships the TCG Sancaktar and TCG Bayraktar left the port of Mersin and arrived at Beirut Port Wednesday with 300 tons of humanitarian aid.

Among the mostly Turkish civilian passengers on board was Semsi Hasan, 37.

Hasan, who boarded the Sancaktar with 25 others, including his family and relatives, told Anadolu that he is from Mardin and will stay with relatives in Mersin and Izmir in the west of Mardin, when he returns home.

“We were sleeping and waking up every day with the sound of bombs. We were very worried about the children. That's why we asked for help from Türkiye and thank God we received help,” he said about living in fear due to the Israeli attacks. “In 2006, Israel came here and declared war. I lived through both conflicts. We went to Mersin then too. There was one ship then, now there are two ships.”

He said the houses of his brother and sister were damaged in the attacks but “Thank God we are healthy, that's all that matters.”

- ‘My children are scared even when a normal plane passes by’

Arif Celik, 40, said he was also from Mardin and would return to Türkiye with his wife, four children, and father.

He said he worked as a plumber in Lebanon but the country he had lived in for years is in a bad situation.

“We left everything; our sustenance behind. Now we are going to Türkiye, God bless us. I will go to Türkiye with my four children. We were working here, we had a good job. Where we were, children heard the sounds of bombs every day. We were waiting to go to Türkiye. My children are scared even when a normal plane passes by,” said Celik, who indicated he left because of his children.

Nesrin Efeturk, 29, left Lebanon with her three children but her husband stayed behind.

“We went through a lot of fear and stress. We could not eat because of the noise. The children were very scared of the sounds of airplanes and bombs. So, our life was very difficult,” she said.

Efeturk thanked Türkiye for sending a ship to evacuate those lucky enough to leave.

“I would like to thank our president for evacuating us. Those who stay here have more difficult times ahead. My husband is a taxi driver, he has health problems, so he couldn't come. My children and I will go to my family in Türkiye. I will go to Mardin because our house was damaged by bombs. We are sad, everything, our property, our work, our life is here,” she added.

- Turkish ships deliver 300 tons of humanitarian aid

The two ships, under the coordination of the Turkish Foreign and National Defense ministries, left Mersin and arrived at Beirut Wednesday with 300 tons of humanitarian aid.

The ships were welcomed with a ceremony by Ankara’s Ambassador to Beirut Ali Baris Ulusoy, Lebanese Environment Minister and Government Emergency Affairs Committee Chair Nasser Yassin, Lebanese High Relief Organization head Mohammed Hayr and other officials.

Civilians, including nationals of different countries who requested assistance from Türkiye, started to board the ships, within the scope of the first military evacuation from the sea after unloading the aid supplies.

- Evacuation from Lebanon also carried out in 2006

The TCG Iskenderun arrived at the Port of Beirut on July 23, 2006, accompanied by the TCG Gelibolu and TCG Bartin, under the organization of the Turkish General Staff and Foreign Ministry.

The Iskenderun returned to Türkiye with nearly 1,100 Turks after a 12-hour journey.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan