Turkish FM to meet Lebanese counterpart Thursday

ANKARA

Amid mounting tensions in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is set to meet his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil Thursday.

Topping the agenda will be bilateral relations, recent developments in Lebanon and regional issues, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Wednesday that resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri was being held against his will in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from which he abruptly announced his resignation 12 days ago.

Hariri was appointed prime minister late last year. Before his resignation, he had led a 30-member government that included Hezbollah representatives.

Saudi Arabia, Hariri’s longtime backer, is Iran’s arch-foe in the region. Riyadh supports Syria’s armed opposition while Iran and Hezbollah both support the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Reporting by Nazli by Ahmet Sait Akcay