Turkey Springs into Action: Emergency Evacuation Underway for Citizens and Foreign Nationals Trapped in War-Torn Lebanon

Reuters

A Turkish defense ministry source said on September 26 that Turkey is preparing for the possible evacuation of foreign nationals and its citizens from Lebanon, as the cross-border fire between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah continues.

Several Western countries have appealed to citizens to leave Lebanon while its airports are still viable, and some have made contingency plans that would focus on Cyprus and could include evacuation by sea, according to statements Australia and Britain.

Turkey’s Southern Mediterranean coast provides another option for evacuating the remaining tens of thousands of foreigners if Israel increases airstrikes in Lebanon.

The Turkish military has the “ability and resources to carry out any mission…for the safe evacuation of our citizens or foreign nationals from Lebanon,” the source said during a briefing in the capital Ankara.

“Preliminary planning and preparations for a possible evacuation operation are being made,” the person said, adding that Turkey has carried out such operations in the past and is closely following developments in Lebanon.

The source did not say which foreign nationals Turkey might help evacuate, or what kind of planning Ankara had done so far.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the evacuation of its estimated 15,000 citizens in Lebanon could involve sea routes, while its foreign minister said there was a risk Beirut airport could close for an extended period.

A person familiar with the contingency evacuation plans of several Western countries said they were focusing on Cyprus as the first option and would involve moving additional personnel as well as military and merchant ships to the region.

If the war escalates and affects Lebanon’s airports, flooding plans could also include Turkey and Greece, the person said.

Britain said this week it was moving troops to Cyprus and had navy ships there to be in position to help an evacuation.

Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday rejected a proposal by the United States, France, and others for a 21-day ceasefire as violence continues across the border between Israel and Lebanon.