Türkiye to evacuate citizens from Lebanon amid ongoing conflict
Passengers disembark a Bulgarian government evacuation flight from Lebanon (AFP Photo)
In response to ongoing ground and air assaults by Israel, Türkiye has set up a Coordination and Support Center within its Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assist in the evacuation of Turkish citizens wishing to leave Lebanon on Oct. 9.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense has prepared ships and transport aircraft for the evacuation operation. Turkish citizens interested in registering for evacuation are encouraged to contact the Consulate Call Center.
Turkiye’s Embassy in Beirut has registered approximately 14,000 Turkish citizens living in Lebanon. So far, about 2,500 individuals have applied for evacuation.
After the initial registration, officials have recontacted these applicants to confirm their decisions.
Based on the responses received, it has been determined that two ships with a combined capacity of 2,000 people will be sufficient for this phase of the operation.
The Navy’s twin vessels, TCG Bayraktar and TCG Sancaktar have been assigned for the evacuation.
The two ships left Mersin port for Beirut on Tuesday and are expected to bring back approximately 2,000 Turkish citizens from Beirut to Mersin on Wednesday.
