Turkey begins evacuating citizens from Lebanon amid intense Israeli strikes
Turkey has begun evacuating its citizens from Lebanon amid intense Israeli airstrikes and ground operations targeting the country’s both urban and rural areas.
The evacuation is being conducted with two Turkish naval vessels, TCG Bayraktar and TCG Sancaktar. The two ships arrived in Beirut late yesterday with 300 tons of humanitarian aid. The aid included essentials such as beds, tents, blankets, food, kitchen supplies, and hygiene kits.
Following the delivery of the aid, the ships started boarding Turkish citizens. Elderly, disabled individuals, children, and infants, are among the evacuees, photos released from the scene showed.
Rising demand for evacuation
Turkey’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Barış Ulusoy told NTV that the evacuation includes about 2,500 civilians, and this number could increase should the situation worsen.
"The worsening security situation in Lebanon, particularly the strikes targeting Beirut, have raised concerns, leading to evacuation requests from our citizens," he said.
Thousands of Turkish citizens in Lebanon, most of which in the capital Beirut, have requested evacuation, the ambassador added.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed this morning that the ships departed for Turkey.
The ships are expected to arrive in Turkey’s Mediterranean city of Mersin later today, after completing the 12-hour journey.
The naval ships are being escorted by two frigates and two patrol boats, ensuring the safe passage of evacuees. Onboard medical teams will conduct health checks during the journey.
While the naval evacuation is underway, Turkish authorities are also preparing limited flights from Beirut to İstanbul and Adana’s Çukurova airports. The embassy urged citizens to contact the consulate’s call center to register for the flights. (VK)