Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

How Turkey Can Be a True Ally to Lebanon

How Turkey Can Be a True Ally to Lebanon

If Turkey wants to be a true ally to the Lebanese people, rather than another cynical actor exploiting those in need, it must ensure any support given goes to its intended destination, without it predicated on geopolitics.
Turkey and Lebanon’s historically strong relationship has been overshadowed by geo-politics and regional rivalries, namely the Iranian-Saudi battle for influence in the Middle East. Nevertheless, Ankara has been making overtures to Lebanon in the form of aid and political support, and this can be felt most in majority Sunni areas.

Tripoli is Lebanon’s most impoverished area. Some reports show it as the poorest city in the Mediterranean, with the central government neglecting its responsibilities to look after the city’s inhabitants. Yet this aid has been conditional. After the recent diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu traveled to Beirut and told Lebanon’s highest-ranking officials that Ankara is ready to start a dialogue between the two nations, but also to exert its own influence with the Lebanese people in order to gain influence over Lebanon’s sectarian political system.

Across Tripoli, flags of the Turkish Republic and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can be seen on posters that say, “May God protect the leader [Erdogan] of the Arab and Islamic nation.” People in the majority Sunni city feel abandoned by Riyadh and have looked to the Turkish leader as their defender. Omar Mrad, a forty-one-year Tripoli resident who was one of the many people who put up the posters in the city, said he personally does not feel represented by Saudi Arabia. Back in 2013, Beirut leased two electric barges from a Turkish company, Karpowership, to be placed off the coast of the country, supplying nearly one-quarter of Lebanon’s energy demand. Although it temporarily shut down operations due to an expired contract and a delay of payments, the company resumed supplying electricity out of “goodwill.”

Ankara has also developed ties with Palestinian refugees and provided emergency aid through food, healthcare, and education through various NGOs. These resources have helped prevent famine but have also incited criticism from abroad.

Saudi Arabia’s state-run Al-Arabiya accused Ankara of facilitating the flow of arms through local NGOs to sympathetic groups in the city. One Lebanese intelligence officer spoke to Arabiya English and expressed concern following a Lebanese Army surveillance operation in Tripoli. These accusations were made more than a year ago and have not been independently verified. The Turkish government has not commented on these claims. However, if true, it would simply make Ankara another player contributing to Lebanon’s sectarian conflict and the misery of the Lebanese people. However, more recently, Turkey has worked to improve relations with Saudi Arabia and wants to use its leverage to mend ties between Lebanon and its former Gulf allies.

When Turkish foreign minister Cavusoglu met with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, they discussed ways to strengthen their bilateral relationship by developing economic sectors such as tourism, energy, and agriculture and by resolving the diplomatic crisis with Riyadh.

"We have expressed our sadness over the recent crisis between Lebanon and the Gulf. We received information concerning the latest developments toward its resolution. And if there is anything that can be done for the issue to be resolved as soon as possible we are ready to carry it out," Cavusogly said during a presser with Bou Habib. Indeed, Lebanese politicians have shown a readiness to resume a state of normal relations with Riyadh and the other Gulf nations. However, recalibration of diplomatic ties must not mean Lebanese leaders should be let off the hook for corruption, nor should any international institution be forgiven for allowing years of economic mismanagement without any accountability.

Lebanon needs international partners willing to demonstrate solidarity during times of hardship, but a true friend must tell hard truths. Lebanon’s government is ultimately responsible for the breakdown in the nation’s economy and cannot be bailed out without serious reforms that include transparency for where any financial aid is being allocated. Otherwise, the vicious cycle of corruption will not be broken. If Turkey wants to be a true ally to the Lebanese people, rather than another cynical actor exploiting those in need, it must ensure any support given goes to its intended destination, without it predicated on geopolitics.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×