Ankara is making preparations for the possible evacuation of foreign nationals and its citizens from Lebanon as the cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah continues, Defense ministry sources said on Thursday.
The military has the “capability and resources to carry out any mission assigned to it for the safe evacuation of our citizens or foreign nationals from Lebanon,” the sources said.
“Preliminary planning and preparations for a potential evacuation operation are being made,” they also said, adding Türkiye had successfully completed such operations before and closely followed developments in Lebanon.
Israel widened its airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday and at least 72 people were killed, according to a Reuters compilation of Lebanese Health Ministry statements. Several allies, including the United States and France, also called for an immediate 21-day cease-fire across the Israel-Lebanon border.
The Defense Ministry sources said Türkiye would also continue aid operations in coordination with relevant agencies and based upon demands of Lebanon and security conditions on the ground.
A Turkish military cargo plane carrying 30 tons of medical supplies and medication arrived in Beirut on Wednesday, upon instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, shortly after he met with Lebanese premier Najib Miqati on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Brig. Adm. Zeki Aktürk, a Defense Ministry spokesperson, told reporters on Thursday that the danger of a wider conflict in the region had escalated and called for action to stop Israel’s attacks that threatened regional stability and international order.
“An immediate cease-fire and a lasting peace must be ensured by the U.N. Security Council and other institutions in charge of maintaining international peace and security,” Aktürk told reporters.
Several Western nations have appealed to citizens to leave Lebanon while its airports are still viable, and some have made contingency plans that would center on Cyprus and could include sea evacuations, according to Australian and British statements. Southern Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast provides another option for evacuation of the tens of thousands of remaining foreigners if Israel escalates airstrikes in Lebanon.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said evacuations of its estimated 15,000 citizens in Lebanon could include sea routes, while its foreign minister said there was a risk that Beirut’s airport could close for an extended period. A person familiar with several Western countries’ contingency evacuation plans said they center on Cyprus as the first option and involve moving additional personnel as well as military and retainer commercial vessels into the region. If the war escalates and affects Lebanon’s airports, spillover plans could also include Türkiye and Greece, the person said. Britain said this week it is moving troops to Cyprus and had naval ships there to be in a position to help evacuates. Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday rejected a proposal by the U.S., France and others for a 21-day cease-fire as violence continued across the Israeli-Lebanese border.
