Security09:59 · Aug 9

Turkey Expands Military and Humanitarian Influence in Lebanon Amid Regional Tensions

YnetCenter

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

Key points

01Turkey provides continuous military aid and training to Lebanese forces, including UNIFIL participation since 2006.
02In July 2023, Lebanese leaders met Erdogan to discuss sovereignty and regional security cooperation.
03Turkey’s TIKA agency runs humanitarian and educational projects, including a new technology lab in Beirut.
04Turkish aid includes over 280 tons of food delivered recently to support families affected by Israeli strikes.
05Turkey’s Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) collaborates with Lebanon on disaster response and housing for displaced families.
06Turkey’s support extends to groups linked to Hamas, raising Israeli security concerns.

In this story

People

OrganizationsUNIFIL, TIKA, IHH, Turkish Red Crescent, AFAD, Turkish Presidential Press Office

PlacesLebanon, Turkey, Beirut, Damascus, Gaza, Tripoli

The story · English

Turkey has established a significant presence in Lebanon through military support, humanitarian aid, and civil projects, reflecting its broader regional ambitions. This development follows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent statement asserting that Turkey's security interests extend to Damascus and Beirut. In July 2023, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Joseph Aoun visited Turkey, meeting with Erdogan to discuss cooperation and Lebanon's sovereignty. Erdogan emphasized Turkey's readiness to join any force ensuring regional stability after the UNIFIL mandate ends and pledged uninterrupted military support to Lebanese forces, including assistance in rebuilding southern Lebanon.

Since 2006, Turkey has actively participated in the UNIFIL peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon and separately supports the Lebanese military with equipment, training, and supplies. In 2018, Turkey committed $7 million in military aid, and since Lebanon's economic crisis began in 2019, Turkey has provided spare parts, ammunition, and food to Lebanese security forces and their families. Beyond military aid, Turkey's official aid agency TIKA has implemented humanitarian and educational projects in Lebanon, including a recently inaugurated technology lab in Beirut aimed at developing digital skills among youth. TIKA also supports Palestinian refugee camps and various agricultural, tourism, and cultural initiatives.

Turkey's humanitarian involvement extends through cooperation with the IHH foundation, which Israel designates as a terrorist organization due to its ties with Hamas. Israeli authorities have previously linked TIKA to Hamas activities in Gaza. In July 2023, Lebanese Welfare Minister Hanin Al-Sayed visited Turkey to strengthen partnerships with TIKA and Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), focusing on disaster response and housing solutions for displaced Lebanese families. AFAD plans to send a delegation to Lebanon to enhance technical cooperation.

Recently, Turkey delivered over 280 tons of meat aid to Beirut to support 140,000 families affected by Israeli strikes, coordinated with Turkish NGOs and the Turkish embassy. The Turkish Red Crescent also distributed more than 730 tons of humanitarian aid in Lebanon in April 2023. Despite Turkey's efforts to bolster Lebanon's government and institutions, its overt anti-Israel stance and support for terrorist groups complicate its regional role and raise concerns about its expanding influence across Lebanon's northern border.

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