Türkiye stands by Lebanon: President Erdogan

WASHINGTON

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that his country stands by Lebanon as he urged the international community to take steps against Israel, according to a statement.

Erdogan and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, where they discussed relations, Israel's attacks on Lebanon and Palestine and regional and global issues.

"The international community must urgently implement a solution that will stop Israeli aggression," Erdogan told Mikati, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

Pointing out that Israel "disregards fundamental human rights and commits genocide in front of the world," Erdogan said, "Stopping this and ending the humanitarian crisis that has resulted from the attacks is a humanitarian duty."

The closed-door meeting took place after days of Israeli wireless device attacks and bombardments of Lebanon that have killed hundreds and injured thousands.

Israel and the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, have been engaged in cross-border clashes since the start of the Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,500 victims, most of them women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally, a possibility that Erdogan has also repeatedly raised the alarm about.