BEIRUT: The families of the captive soldiers and policemen met Wednesday with the Turkey's ambassador to Lebanon who pledged to communicate their demands to his country’s president.
“The ambassador promised to pass our demands to the Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan,” the families’ spokesperson told reporters after their meeting at the Turkish embassy in Rabieh.
The families said Ambassador Suleiman Inan Ozyildiz appeared to take the matter seriously, saying that Turkey “can play a role in the hostages matter.”
The spokesperson, who spoke to television reporters but did not give his name, said that the families trust Prime Minister Tammam Salam and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim who are overseeing negotiations for their release.
“We truly trust the state and its cooperation with us, but our duty is to act for our cause,” the spokesperson said, defending their decision to meet with Ozyildiz.
More than 30 soldiers and policemen were abducted by jihadists militants during a five-day battle in the northeastern town of Arsal more than three months ago. Seven have since been released, and three executed.
A committee joining top security officials and ministers has been following up on the matter on behalf of the Lebanese government, while a Qatari-appointed mediator intervened to communicate the kidnappers’ demands.
The militants are demanding the release of prisoners being held in Lebanon and Syria in exchange for the 27 hostages.
The Nusra Front gave the government three choices: either to release 10 Islamist detainees from prison for each captive; to release seven detainees and ask the Syrian government to release 30 women from its prisons for each captive; or to release five men from Lebanon and 50 women from Syria for each captive.
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