The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised Prime Minister Tammam Salam Wednesday to help in securing the release of Lebanese servicemen captured by extremist militants, said ministerial sources accompanying Salam on his visit to New York.
Speaking to The Daily Star on condition of anonymity, the sources said the Turkish president vowed to make efforts to resolve the case, adding that Salam and Erdogan also discussed the need to improve Arab-Turkish ties as well as Lebanese-Turkish relations.
Militants from the Nusra Front and ISIS are holding at least 21 Lebanese Army soldiers and policemen they captured during their brief takeover of the northeastern town of Arsal last month.
Turkey said over the weekend that 49 Turkish hostages captured by ISIS in Iraq in June have returned home safely. The circumstances of their release remained mysterious.
Salam, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and other members of the Lebanese delegation are taking part in the 69th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The prime minister is to deliver Lebanon’s speech Friday at 9:45 pm.
Salam also held talks with French President Francois Hollande, urging him to hasten the delivery of arms to Lebanon under a $3 billion Saudi grant announced late last year which would allow the Lebanese Army to acquire French weaponry.
The two officials also tackled Lebanese-French bilateral ties and highlighted the importance of combatting terrorism.
Salam’s meeting with Hollande came the same day an ISIS-linked group announced the beheading of a French hostage in Algeria.
The prime minister also addressed the situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Earlier, Salam attended a breakfast hosted by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in honor of heads of delegations taking part in the General Assembly session.
