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The evacuation of Turkish citizens and other foreign nationals from Beirut commenced on Wednesday as Israel warned Lebanon could face destruction like Gaza.
Some 2,000 Turkish citizens and their relatives assembled in the Port of Beirut early in the morning to set sail on two Turkish naval ships for Türkiye’s southern Mersin province, likely arriving by Thursday morning at the earliest, Turkish Ambassador to Beirut Ali Barış Ulusoy told reporters.
He said Turkish citizens have requested their evacuation due to the deteriorating security situation caused by Israel’s increasing attacks on Lebanon in recent weeks.
Arrangements have also been made to help the evacuated Turkish citizens with their needs, he said.
There are around 13,000 to 14,000 Turkish citizens registered at the consulate in Lebanon, but the number was not definitive, according to Ulusoy.
He said the number of evacuees may increase “if Israel’s aggression intensifies.”
After a 12-hour journey to Port of Mersin, Turkish citizens will be greeted by authorities who will coordinate their trip to other cities, the ambassador added.
The ships will also deliver over 300 tons of humanitarian aid for displaced Lebanese people, including tents, blankets, food, and hygiene sets.
Ulusoy recalled that on Sept. 25, Türkiye delivered around 30 tons of aid, including medicines and food, to Lebanon, emphasizing that the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) is also working “very actively” in the country.
Many countries have sent assistance to Lebanon during these challenging times, he said, adding that Türkiye is one of the countries sending the most aid to Lebanon.
He described the situation in Lebanon as “worrisome,” saying: “The deterioration of the security environment has been felt across all parts of Lebanon, especially since mid-September.”
A total of one million people have been displaced due to Israeli assaults on Lebanon, Ulusoy said, adding: “This is a serious problem for a country the size of Lebanon.”
“As the Turkish government, we are making efforts to address this humanitarian crisis,” he said.
Israel has mounted massive airstrikes across Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing more than 1,250 people, injuring 3,618 others, and displacing more than 1.2 million people.
The aerial campaign was an escalation in yearlong cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 42,000 people, mostly women and children, since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.
Despite international warnings that the Middle East region is on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground invasion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.
Israel’s military said Tuesday it was broadening its offensive in Lebanon’s southwest.
Turkish authorities announced last week that they were ready for a possible evacuation of Turks from Lebanon via air and sea and were working with about 20 countries for possible evacuation of foreign nationals via Türkiye, whose proximity to Lebanon makes it a hub of evacuations.
Since Israel launched attacks on its northern neighbor under the pretext of eliminating Hezbollah, more than 1,400 people have arrived in Türkiye by sea.
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Emil Kovács graduated from the Journalism program at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary. During his journalism studies, he focused on data journalism, investigative reporting, and multimedia storytelling. He gained experience by writing for the university’s student newspaper, where he gained attention for his articles on social issues. After graduation, Emil began working as a reporter at a European news agency, where he conducts in-depth analyses of international news and current events.
