Did Syrians board the evacuation ship in Lebanon first? Statement from the Foreign Ministry

Claims that Syrian and Lebanese nationals were prioritized for boarding the ships sent to evacuate Turkish citizens from Lebanon have become a topic of discussion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to these allegations.

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Did Syrians board the evacuation ship in Lebanon first? Statement from the Foreign Ministry

It has been reported that the amphibious ships TCG Sancaktar and TCG Bayraktar, belonging to the Naval Forces Command, have set sail for Mersin to evacuate Turkish citizens located in Lebanon.

The movement of the ships was first announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan on social media. Fidan stated, “Upon the instructions of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our ships, which safely evacuated our citizens in Lebanon and delivered humanitarian aid to the brotherly people of Lebanon, have departed from Beirut and set sail for Mersin.”

Cumhurbaşkanımız Sayın @RTErdogan’ın talimatlarıyla, Lübnan’daki vatandaşlarımızı güvenli bir şekilde tahliye eden ve kardeş Lübnan halkına insani yardım götüren gemilerimiz Beyrut’tan ayrılarak Mersin’e doğru yola çıktı.

Ülkemiz, İsrail’in bölgede yaydığı savaşın yarattığı…
— Hakan Fidan (@HakanFidan) October 10, 2024

However, certain allegations regarding the departure process of the ships have emerged. According to the claims, while one of the ships had left the port and was waiting offshore, evacuation procedures were still ongoing on the other. The Ministry of National Defense shared footage of the evacuation three hours after Fidan's statement, noting, “Two ships belonging to our Naval Forces have departed from Beirut Port to arrive in Mersin. Two frigates and two patrol ships are escorting the ships carrying out the evacuation.”

CLAIMS OF CHAOS

Footage shared by some journalists from the region revealed the turmoil that occurred during the evacuation process. According to the claims, individuals of Syrian and Lebanese nationality were the first to be taken onto the ships. This situation led to reactions from Turkish citizens waiting in line, resulting in altercations.

ÜMİT ÖZDAĞ: 'YOU ARE ENEMIES OF THE TURKS'

Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ voiced these claims on his social media account, stating, “Syrians and Lebanese were taken onto the ships sent for evacuation to Lebanon first. Turks reacted to this. When we oppose this disgrace, they call us racist. You are enemies of the Turks.”

FOREIGN MINISTRY RESPONDS TO ALLEGATIONS

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the allegations, reporting that a total of 966 people were evacuated, including 878 Turkish citizens and 24 TRNC citizens.

Ministry officials stated, “The claim that foreign nationals were given priority in boarding the ships is absolutely untrue. Foreign nationals taken onto the ships were accepted as relatives of a Turkish citizen.”

Foreign Ministry sources indicated that such allegations could fuel xenophobia and hinder the work of personnel serving during the operation.

According to ministry sources, while the number of people who pre-registered for evacuation was announced as 2,500, it was reported during phone calls with these individuals that 1,900 people would come to the assembly points. However, it was stated that approximately 1,000 people reached the assembly areas and some decided against evacuation at the last minute.

News Source: 12punto