Hariri from Ankara: “Israeli” Crimes Revoke Reconciliation Initiatives

Prime Minister Saad Hariri told the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum in Istanbul on Thursday that his "duty was to protect Lebanon against "Israeli" arrogance." 

He said the region is in a "sensitive situation." It has suffered from "Israeli" crimes on the political and security levels. 

"We in Lebanon, put all our political and diplomatic efforts in the disposal of the Arab unified stance in order to achieve a Palestinian state with Al Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital," Hariri told the forum.
Hariri also said that the government is seeking to consolidate Lebanese-Turkish ties in all fields and is keen on the participation of the local and Turkish private sector in the implementation of projects in the country. 

The premier hailed the rise in the number of Turkish tourists visiting Lebanon after an agreement was signed between the two countries earlier in the year to waiver entry visas.
Hariri traveled to Turkey on Wednesday night.

Also Thursday, Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with Arab colleagues for cooperation talks on the sidelines of the forum. They were joined by Hariri, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.

The Turkish-Arab forum was set up in 2006 as Erdogan's Islamist-rooted government, seeking a stronger Turkish role in the Middle East, moved to improve ties with Arab nations.