Türkiye ready for further Lebanon evacuations: National Defense Ministry

By Utku Simsek and Yasin Gungor

ANKARA / ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish ships and aircraft are prepared for additional evacuations from Lebanon if needed, a spokesperson at Türkiye's National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"Our planning is based on demand," an official told at weekly press briefing, referring to evacuation operations. "If needed, our plans for new evacuations continue in coordination with other ministries and public institutions."

Turkish ships have evacuated 966 people from Lebanon, including 878 Turkish nationals, 24 citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and 64 of their immediate relatives, according to diplomatic sources.

- Counter-terrorism

The ministry also reported on ongoing counter-terrorism efforts. In the past week, 42 terrorists were "neutralized" in operations in northern Iraq and Syria.

It was revealed that since Jan. 1, a total of 2,149 terrorists have been targeted, 1,113 in northern Iraq and 1,036 in northern Syria.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

- Lebanese migration

Addressing potential migration due to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, ministry sources said: "So far, there is no large group coming to our border," acknowledging that some Lebanese citizens had migrated due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

The sources said Türkiye's military operations in Syria aims to destroy terrorism at its source along with preventing the migration wave that could be directed towards the country.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon, which started late last month, have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced 1.2 million others, according to Lebanese authorities.

- Türkiye expects allies to act according to 'spirit of the alliance’

Regarding reports in German media about approved ammunition sales, the ministry said no official notification had been received.

The official reiterated the stance against restrictions between allies, saying: "Our expectation is that our allies will take decisions in accordance with the spirit of the alliance and the common security perspective."