The Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Turkish Ambassador to Beirut Hakan Cakil and expressed protest over Ankara's remarks following Lebanese President Michel Aoun's statement that marked the launch of events related to the centennial of Lebanon's independence from the Ottoman Empire
BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd September, 2019) The Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Turkish Ambassador to Beirut Hakan Cakil and expressed protest over Ankara's remarks following Lebanese President Michel Aoun's statement that marked the launch of events related to the centennial of Lebanon's independence from the Ottoman Empire.Last week, Aoun wrote on Twitter that all Lebanon's "attempts to get rid of the Ottoman presence in the country were accompanied by aggression, murder and inciting inter-confessional strife." Aoun added that the terror of the Ottoman Empire against Lebanon during World War I claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands people. Ankara, in turn, responded by condemning the Lebanese president's remarks, saying that his statement is "baseless and biased," as well as "unfortunate and irresponsible."
"[Foreign] Minister [Gebran] Bassil summoned Director of Political and Consular Affairs Ghadi Khoury and Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon Hakan Cakil in relation to Turkey's statement number 258 from September 1, 2019, which was accompanied by expressions and language that are not appropriate for diplomatic relations and the historical friendship between the two countries," the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement added that Khoury demanded that Turkey adjust Ankara's statement to "avoid misunderstandings and preserve excellent bilateral relations and to prevent them from deteriorating."
Lebanon was under Ottoman control for nearly four centuries before World War I, in which the Empire was defeated in 1918. In 1920, French General Henri Gouraud proclaimed the establishment of the state of Lebanon under the French protectorate. This decision was made after the accession of the provinces of Beirut, Saida and the Beqaa valley to Lebanon, which had a special status until the end of the 19th century.
