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Erdogan flags Lebanon attacks
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview for ‘Al Muqabala’ that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon are a source of serious concern for Ankara.
“continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon are a source of serious concern for Ankara”
Erdogan said he discussed the necessity of stopping the war on Lebanon with U.S. President Donald Trump during Trump’s recent visit to Türkiye, and he urged Washington to play an important role in bringing the fighting to an end.
In the same Al Jazeera interview, Erdogan also said he had raised the issue of Lebanon with Trump and stressed the urgent need to halt the war on Lebanon.
Erdogan added that Turkey prioritizes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying its continued closure serves no country’s interests, while he linked the Lebanon conflict to broader regional tensions.
Arab League and ceasefire
The Arab League condemned Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon that killed civilians, warning that escalation could undermine efforts to resolve the conflict and end the occupation.
In a written statement, Arab League Secretary-General spokesperson Gamal Roshdy said Israeli attacks targeting civilians in Nabatieh and surrounding villages and towns since the morning of Aug. 15 represented “a clear violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty” and a dangerous escalation that could derail efforts to resolve the conflict and end the occupation.
The statement said the situation could develop into a wider confrontation unless the international community, particularly the U.S., intervenes, and it called for “the Israeli war machine to be stopped immediately.”
The same report said Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes Friday on the southern Lebanese towns of Deir al-Zahrani and Ansar despite the ceasefire, killing 11 people including children, and wounding 19.
Turkey’s next moves
Erdogan told Al Jazeera that continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon are a major concern for Turkey and said he discussed the necessity of stopping the war on Lebanon with U.S. President Donald Trump during his last visit to Turkey.
“continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon are a major concern for Turkey”
The same Al Jazeera interview said Erdogan stressed that Turkey will not leave Syria and Gaza to their own devices, while he emphasized the importance of opening the Hormuz Strait.
In a separate analysis, Turk Beyez said Lebanon’s diplomatic track with Israel mediated by Washington pushed Beirut to seek external political support through Turkey’s diplomatic and political weight.
That analysis also said President Joseph Aoun highlighted losses from Israeli attacks and underscored Beirut’s need for Ankara’s support to implement the “framework agreement” signed with Israel on June 26.
