Hariri Holds Two-Hour Meeting with Erdogan

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Friday met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.

A statement issued by Hariri’s press office said the meeting lasted for two hours and involved a working lunch.

Hariri and Erdogan “thoroughly discussed the latest regional developments, the various challenges and means for cooperation among the region’s nations to confront them,” the statement said.

They also tackled “bilateral ties between Lebanon and Turkey and means to back the efforts for halting the collapse and rebuilding Beirut once the new government is formed in Lebanon.”

The Turkish presidency said the "private" meeting at Erdogan's Istanbul residence focused on regional security issues and "deepening and strengthening" ties, without providing details.

Hariri was renamed to the premiership post for a third time in October, almost a year after stepping down under pressure from an unprecedented protest movement.

The 50-year-old inherited a country reeling from an economic crisis whose impact was compounded by the coronavirus pandemic and the aftereffects of a Beirut port blast that killed more than 200 people and ravaged the capital in August.

Turkey has been playing an increasingly assertive role in the region under Erdogan, who has been vying for diplomatic influence with rivals such as France.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Lebanon in August and September, pushing for political reform.

After Macron's first visit, Erdogan accused the French leader of pursuing "colonialist" aims in Lebanon.

Erdogan's office said the Turkish leader reaffirmed his support for the "unity and peace" of Lebanon, which was once part of the Ottoman Empire.