Turkey Evacuates Thousands of Citizens From Lebanon by Ship
Turkey has sent two navy landing ships to Beirut as part of an effort to evacuate thousands of Turkish nationals and their families amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The ships departed Turkey on Tuesday following a week of punishing Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon and the announcement that a limited contingent of IDF special forces had crossed into southern Lebanon.
The Turkish naval vessels arrived at Beirut’s port to find crowds of would-be evacuees preparing to leave the country in response to the mounting safety concerns.
“We cannot take this situation anymore. No one knows where this country is taking us,” said Issa Malak, a dual citizen. “There is no bread here. There is no future in Lebanon.”
Along with the evacuation mission, the ships were dually sent on a humanitarian aid mission and unloaded some 300 tons of humanitarian aid, including beds, tents, blankets, food parcels, and hygiene kits, Turkey’s Ambassador Ali Baris Ulusoy said Tuesday.
The ships are expected to reach Turkey’s eastern Mediterranean city of Mersin on Thursday after a 12-hour voyage; however, according to a source at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, there are still around 14,000 Turkish nationals remaining in Lebanon and noted additional evacuations via chartered flight may be necessary.
Turkey is collaborating with about 20 countries, such as the US, UK, and France, on a massive multilateral evacuation effort to get foreigners out of Lebanon.
