Hezbollah, Future make headway easing tension

BEIRUT: The Future Movement and Hezbollah made “serious progress” Monday in a second round of talks to defuse sectarian tensions exacerbated by the conflict in Syria, officials from the two rival factions said.

The two sides also agreed to continue the implementation of a government security plan in all Lebanese territories following the successful restoration of state authority in the northern city of Tripoli.

Discussions between senior officials from the Future Movement and Hezbollah centered on a main item: defusing sectarian tensions, according to an official statement issued following a four-hour meeting hosted by Speaker Nabih Berri at his Ain al-Tineh residence.

“Serious progress has been made in this respect [defusing sectarian tensions],” the terse statement said.

It added that the two sides also agreed to support the continued implementation of a security plan in all Lebanese territories.

The Lebanese Army last year heavily deployed in Tripoli, crushing Islamist militants in line with a security plan to restore law and order to the city torn by sectarian fighting between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Following the Army deployment in Tripoli, there have been calls mainly by Future and March 14 allies for the security plan to be enforced also in the Bekaa Valley region, long plagued by kidnappings for ransom, killings, vendettas, drug smuggling and car thefts.

Hezbollah enjoys wide popular support in the Bekaa Valley, especially in areas near the border with Syria. The Shiite party has been accused by the March 14 coalition of preventing the Army from asserting government control over these areas.

The statement did not say what measures Future and Hezbollah would take to ease political and sectarian tensions, which had in the past flared up into street violence between supporters of the two sides.

Berri, the sponsor of the Future-Hezbollah dialogue, did not attend Monday’s session. He was represented by his political aide, Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil.

As in the first session held at Ain al-Tineh on Dec. 23, the Future Movement was represented by Nader Hariri, chief of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s staff, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and MP Samir Jisr.

Hezbollah was represented by Hussein Khalil, a political aide to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan and MP Hasan Fadlallah.

Monday’s was the second session of a dialogue launched last month with the aim of easing Sunni-Shiite tensions and facilitating the election of a new president. Defusing Sunni-Shiite tensions is the main item on the dialogue agenda which, according to officials from both sides, also includes finding a mechanism to allow the election of a president, boosting efforts to combat terrorism, promoting a new electoral law and energizing stagnant state institutions.

Last month’s meeting was the first face-to-face encounter between Future and Hezbollah officials in four years since the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance toppled Hariri’s national unity government in January 2011.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam as well as Future MPs and rival politicians have voiced hopes that the Future-Hezbollah dialogue would help break the 7-month-old presidential deadlock.

In addition to gaining support from rival politicians, the Future-Hezbollah dialogue has also won backing from Egypt as well as the U.S., Saudi and Iranian ambassadors in Beirut.

The dialogue was also praised by the European Union. “The European Union welcomes the dialogue between Hezbollah and the Future Movement,” EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst told reporters after meeting Berri at Ain al-Tineh. “This dialogue sends a good signal to the Lebanese people and the region that differences can be overcome.”

She said she congratulated Berri for his efforts to get the two rival parties talking to each other. “It is a good beginning for the New Year with the convening of the second session of this dialogue which is a subject of interest for everyone with regard to overcoming differences among the Lebanese parties,” Eichhorst said.

Machnouk sounded optimistic about the outcome of the Future-Hezbollah dialogue.

“Our main goal is to defuse Sunni-Shiite tensions and later discuss the presidency,” he told reporters after meeting Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian at Dar-Fatwa hours before heading for the talks with Hezbollah officials. “We are still at the beginning and let’s wait. We are always optimistic.”

A senior Hezbollah official said dialogue must be upheld by Sunnis and Shiites in order to ward off the threat of sectarian strife hanging over the country as a result of the repercussions of the war in Syria.

“The gate of dialogue must remain open among Muslims in order to snuff out the fire of strife and raise hope,” Sayyed Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed, head of Hezbollah’s Political Council, said at a dinner hosted by the party at a restaurant south of Beirut on the occasion of Prophet Mohammad’s birthday.

Separately, Nasrallah will tackle local and regional issues in a televised speech Friday marking Prophet Mohammad’s birthday, Al-Manar TV station reported Monday. It said Nasrallah’s speech, likely to touch on the dialogue between Hezbollah and the Future Movement, would be aired during a Hezbollah-sponsored rally at Mahdi school in the southern Beirut suburb of Hadath at 2:30 p.m.

Corruption: ‘It’s like opening Pandora’s box’

BEIRUT: The recent burst of revelations about the level of corruption and mismanagement in Lebanon, from radioactive goods at the airport to moldy labneh, can be classified as news only in its details – the broad shape of the situation has been known for years. So what’s going on?

Monday saw several ministers issue forceful, even combative statements over the performance of their respective ministries.

Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk called out “some people” for demanding that the Naameh landfill be closed, citing the lack of an alternative, putting himself up against Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and his Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb and their insistence that the dump be shut down after 17 long, smelly years.

Elsewhere, Health Minister Wael Abu Faour and Economy and Trade Minister Alain Hakim traded blows over the former’s ongoing and highly controversial food safety crusade, which over the last week has zeroed in on ministerial control of sales of sugar and grain in the country.

Also Monday, Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil revealed that dangerous radioactive parts had been found in industrial and kitchen items recently seized at Beirut’s port and international airport, vowing to hold importers accountable.

But none of these will truly come as a surprise to anyone who is used to the way Lebanon works, so why the sudden, very public blame game between established ministers who have seen it all before?

“I think it’s politically driven, I don’t think these ministers are sincere,” said Hilal Khashan, professor of political sciences at the American University of Beirut. “Politics is stagnant and these people want to maintain a place in the sun of Lebanese politics.”

“They are trying to make waves, these will not amount to much.”

He pointed to the hypocrisies within the stances of the various ministers, arguing that their campaigns to expose wrongdoing were unlikely to last long.

He argued, for example, that Abu Faour’s campaign to name and shame restaurants lacked transparency.

“[Abu Faour] never told us about the specifications that he was using for the violations, which in any case have been going on for years and years. I’m surprised that he has just discovered it recently.”

He also suggested that Abu Faour was attempting to divert attention from less savory rumors doing the rounds in Lebanon.

“Meanwhile, Khalil is talking about the radioactive things coming into Lebanon,” Khashan continued. “He comes from the group of [Speaker Nabih] Berri, who openly admits that he is corrupt and works only for the interests of the country’s Shiites. Now one of his men is coming out and talking about public safety, I wouldn’t take it too seriously.”

This view was echoed by Imad Salamey, a political science professor at the Lebanese American University, who said that such ministers taking a vocal and aggressive approach to longtime, institutional issues was highly problematic.

“What is interesting is that the health minister has overtaken the rule of other political entities, so instead of acting as an executive he is acting as a watchdog, releasing himself from the responsibilities of an executive branch minister,” Salamey said.

“The executive branch which Abu Faour represents should not be taking on such a role; they should be the ones to be accountable. If all these things are true, then he should resign,” he said.

He also pointed to the dangerous precedent being set by such public accusations and actions.

“If a minister unleashed a campaign exposing things that he believes are in the public interest, then he could start a ministers’ war that could undermine the whole government,” Salamey said.

“These things should be discussed by the Council of Ministers in order to keep everything functioning properly. It should not be done in the press,” he said.

But not everyone agrees, and for Yahya Hakim, the director general of the Lebanese Transparency Association, such open discussion of the crippling, endemic problems facing Lebanon is long overdue.

“The simple idea of opening the subject is excellent,” he said. “People never thought of the magnitude of these problems – the accumulation of years and years of neglect, carelessness and laissez faire – until somebody bursts the bubble.”

“The problem is that it’s like opening Pandora’s Box: if they want to change things, then the whole system needs to change. It can’t be done by simply sending a few inspectors to a factory or warehouse.”

Temperatures to drop further as winter storm intensifies

BEIRUT: The long-awaited “Zina” has officially arrived, with the country witnessing a burst of cold weather, and temperatures expected to further drop Tuesday as the storm intensifies. The storm is being brought over by a low-pressure weather system from the North Pole via Eastern Europe, according to Michel Frem, head of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute.

Frem, who said the cold weather would continue until Sunday, warned of flooding and strong winds up to 80 km/hr from Monday to Wednesday, especially in Beirut and the south.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday temperatures will drop as low as minus 10 degrees in the Bekaa Valley, Frem added.

LARI urged fishermen and greenhouse owners to take immediate precautions to protect their property and called on citizens to properly secure any items at risk of becoming detached from balconies or rooftops.

Zina was already being felt Monday as strong winds lashed Lebanon at a speeds of up to 90 km/hr in the north, according to the Meteorological Department at the Rafik Hariri International Airport.

“The storm will intensify Tuesday afternoon until it reaches its peak Wednesday night,” a source at the Meteorological Department told The Daily Star.

The department’s forecast released Monday said Tuesday would see heavy rains, strong winds and thunderstorms.

During the day, the temperature will be relatively stable, but will begin to drop gradually by the afternoon, according to the forecast.

“Snow will begin to fall at an altitude of 1300 meters above sea level and during the night, will fall at 800 meters in the north,” the Meteorological Department said.

Temperatures Tuesday are expected to range between 9 and 18 degrees Celsius along the coast, 2 and 9 degrees in the mountains, minus 1 and 2 in the Cedars and 3 and 8 in the Bekaa Valley.

Wednesday’s weather is set to be cloudy with more strong winds, thunderstorms and significant drops in temperatures, with snow expected at night at areas 600 m above sea level and at an even lower altitude in the north.

Temperatures Wednesday are expected to range between 8 and 15 degrees Celsius along the coast, 0 and 6 in the mountains, minus 4 and minus 2 in the Cedars and 1 and 5 in the Bekaa Valley.

“The storm will begin to wane overnight Thursday into Friday morning, but the effects of the storm will continue to be felt due to the northern winds and snow at high altitudes,” the Meterological Department source said.

The Internal Security Forces released a statement Monday announcing that the following roads are open to all vehicles: Dahr al-Baidar, Tarshish-Zahle, Laqlouq-Aqoura, Ehden, Hermel-Qobeiyat and Jezzine-Kfar Houna-Aramta.

The Arz road is passable for Jeeps and SUVs until the ski lifts, while the Kefraya-Barouk-Maasser road and the roads leading to ski resorts in Kfar Debian are only passable for vehicles equipped with metal chains due to the icy roads.

The Tarshish-Baskinta, Ainata-Arz and Kfar Debian-Hadath-Baalbek roads remain snowed under and inaccessible.

The ISF advised motorists to add antifreeze to their car radiators to help their motors start up easier.

Also Monday, the National News Agency reported that the Civil Defense’s rescue teams were called to peaks of Jabal Sannine to pull out four cars stuck in the snow.

The Civil Defense’s Directorate General reminded citizens of the importance of abiding by the usual precautions ahead of the storm, and recommended that drivers listen to the weather forecast before making any trips and avoid mountainous areas as much as possible.

For those living at high altitudes, most likely to bear the brunt of Zina, the Civil Defense advised keeping extra amounts of vital supplies, including food, water, medicine, diesel and wood.

For anyone who has to brave the mountainous roads during the storm, the Civil Defense recommended drivers to cover their tires with metal chains, allow extra time for their journey and carry supplies of food, water and medicine that would last two days, as well as blankets and warm clothes.

Drivers should follow instructions from the Civil Defense and the ISF. They should park their car to the right of the road and put on their hazard lights in case of an emergency or if the weather makes driving unfeasible.

In any case of emergencies, citizens can contact the ISF by dialing 112.

Syrians confused by new entry measures imposed on them

BEIRUT: Majid’s residency papers will expire in 10 days, and the coffee shop worker says he doesn’t know how new controversial entry measures for Syrian nationals, which went into effect Monday, will affect his ability to renew.

“I can’t go back to Syria, because I’m wanted for military service,” he explained. Under the new measures, Majid will have to find a Lebanese sponsor to remain in the country.

His wife and children live under fire in Aleppo, he says, and were not permitted to return to Lebanon after leaving to seek medical treatment, cheaper in Syria still than in Beirut. “I’m here and they are there. What are we going to do?”

“No Arab country will take them now,” the Lebanese owner of the shop said.

“If you go to Turkey, then back to Syria you are done for. Lebanon won’t let you in. Jordan won’t let you in. Saudi Arabia won’t let you in.”

The measures require Syrians to obtain one of six types of entry permits – tourist, business, student, transit, short stay or medical – and has evoked mixed reactions among officials and aid organizations, and much confusion among Syrians whom it affects directly.

A security source at the Masnaa border crossing said traffic was very slow Monday. The day before the regulations came into effect 10,000 individuals had crossed, the source said.

At the northern Arida border crossing, little to no traffic was reported by officials.

“People waited two days on the other side of the border to learn how stringently the new law was being applied and how to get visas,” one of the few who managed to cross said.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has acknowledged that the new decision lies within Lebanon’s jurisdiction as a sovereign country, but expressed concern over the fact that the new measures do not provide explicit provisions for Syrian asylum-seekers.

Government sources maintain that a separate set of criteria, to be issued by the Social Affairs Ministry in the coming days, will regulate the entry of “humanitarian cases,” referring to Syrians fleeing war.

The new measures are meant to distinguish visitors and workers from refugees and curb the flow of Syrian nationals into Lebanon.

Interior Ministry aide Khalil Gebara told The Daily Star that in line with a Cabinet decision made in October, “the decision to permit entry for exceptional cases will be taken by the Interior and Social Affairs ministries.” He added that as of Monday, the Social Affairs Ministry had begun coordinating with General Security over the criteria for such cases.

Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk Monday defended the new entry regulations, saying their enforcement would reduce the number of Syrians in the country.

“There are 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon, among them 1,070,000 are registered as refugees,” Machnouk said in a news conference. “Lebanon is not able to receive more refugees.”

Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, another advocate of the new measures, explained in comments made Monday how entry would be granted under the new regulations.

He clarified that Syrians would not have to approach the Lebanese Embassy in Damascus to acquire visas; these will be granted at border crossings, he told a local radio station. “Reactions to the measures have been exaggerated,” he added.

Derbas said new regulations requiring sponsorship for Syrian workers would curb the number of professional Syrians practicing in posts restricted for Lebanese.

He added that Syrian workers had one month to correct their status by applying for a one-year permit “in accordance with the kafala [sponsorship] system.”

The new measures seek to organize the presence of Syrians in Lebanon and hold Lebanese citizens responsible for every Syrian worker in the country.

Derbas also revealed that the number of registered Syrian refugees was recently reduced from 1,195,000 to 1,100,000 upon an official decision.

Ministry aide Hala al-Helou said a “combination of factors” had led to a decrease in numbers, including stricter border measures and regular UNHCR deregistration procedures following regular evaluations.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt criticized the new regulations as understudied and premature. Though the Druze leader acknowledged the adverse effects the deluge of Syrian refugees was having on Lebanon’s infrastructure and public services, he said, “complicating measures against refugees and regular citizens on border crossings without proper study” was unwarranted.

The PSP leader called on the interior minister and General Security to approach the “sensitive and difficult case” in a conciliatory way that preserves the dignity of Syrian refugees.

But Syrian workers say they are in the dark about how the measures will affect their status in Lebanon. Legal ambiguities have caused many to avoid travel to Syria.

“I was hoping to go back for a visit but if they grab me at the border, I’ll never be able to come back or work or do anything,” said Ahmad, a shoe shiner on Hamra street.

Another chimed in: “What’s going to happen to the people who are living and working here already? It’s not clear, nobody knows.”

A government source said the Interior Ministry would clarify the status of those who already have residency papers in the coming days.

Until there is clarity, Syrian workers remain puzzled by the rationale behind the measures.

“Have you ever seen a Syrian person coming here for tourism?” laughed Mohammad, another worker, his peers chuckling along with him.

Corruption: ‘It’s like opening Pandora’s box’

BEIRUT: The recent burst of revelations about the level of corruption and mismanagement in Lebanon, from radioactive goods at the airport to moldy labneh, can be classified as news only in its details – the broad shape of the situation has been known for years. So what’s going on?

Monday saw several ministers issue forceful, even combative statements over the performance of their respective ministries.

Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk called out “some people” for demanding that the Naameh landfill be closed, citing the lack of an alternative, putting himself up against Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and his Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb and their insistence that the dump be shut down after 17 long, smelly years.

Elsewhere, Health Minister Wael Abu Faour and Economy and Trade Minister Alain Hakim traded blows over the former’s ongoing and highly controversial food safety crusade, which over the last week has zeroed in on ministerial control of sales of sugar and grain in the country.

Also Monday, Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil revealed that dangerous radioactive parts had been found in industrial and kitchen items recently seized at Beirut’s port and international airport, vowing to hold importers accountable.

But none of these will truly come as a surprise to anyone who is used to the way Lebanon works, so why the sudden, very public blame game between established ministers who have seen it all before?

“I think it’s politically driven, I don’t think these ministers are sincere,” said Hilal Khashan, professor of political sciences at the American University of Beirut. “Politics is stagnant and these people want to maintain a place in the sun of Lebanese politics.”

“They are trying to make waves, these will not amount to much.”

He pointed to the hypocrisies within the stances of the various ministers, arguing that their campaigns to expose wrongdoing were unlikely to last long.

He argued, for example, that Abu Faour’s campaign to name and shame restaurants lacked transparency.

“[Abu Faour] never told us about the specifications that he was using for the violations, which in any case have been going on for years and years. I’m surprised that he has just discovered it recently.”

He also suggested that Abu Faour was attempting to divert attention from less savory rumors doing the rounds in Lebanon.

“Meanwhile, Khalil is talking about the radioactive things coming into Lebanon,” Khashan continued. “He comes from the group of [Speaker Nabih] Berri, who openly admits that he is corrupt and works only for the interests of the country’s Shiites. Now one of his men is coming out and talking about public safety, I wouldn’t take it too seriously.”

This view was echoed by Imad Salamey, a political science professor at the Lebanese American University, who said that such ministers taking a vocal and aggressive approach to longtime, institutional issues was highly problematic.

“What is interesting is that the health minister has overtaken the rule of other political entities, so instead of acting as an executive he is acting as a watchdog, releasing himself from the responsibilities of an executive branch minister,” Salamey said.

“The executive branch which Abu Faour represents should not be taking on such a role; they should be the ones to be accountable. If all these things are true, then he should resign,” he said.

He also pointed to the dangerous precedent being set by such public accusations and actions.

“If a minister unleashed a campaign exposing things that he believes are in the public interest, then he could start a ministers’ war that could undermine the whole government,” Salamey said.

“These things should be discussed by the Council of Ministers in order to keep everything functioning properly. It should not be done in the press,” he said.

But not everyone agrees, and for Yahya Hakim, the director general of the Lebanese Transparency Association, such open discussion of the crippling, endemic problems facing Lebanon is long overdue.

“The simple idea of opening the subject is excellent,” he said. “People never thought of the magnitude of these problems – the accumulation of years and years of neglect, carelessness and laissez faire – until somebody bursts the bubble.”

“The problem is that it’s like opening Pandora’s Box: if they want to change things, then the whole system needs to change. It can’t be done by simply sending a few inspectors to a factory or warehouse.”

Press Federation to elect new head

BEIRUT: The Press Federation is preparing for the election of a new board next week and a new head replacing Mohammad Baalbaki, who has served in the post for over three decades.

Hopefuls began filing their candidacies Monday, and the competition will likely pit a list headed by Awni al-Kaaki, the editor-in-chief of Ash-Sharq newspaper against one formed by Salah Salam, the editor-in-chief of Al-Liwaa newspaper.

But sources from the federation told The Daily Star that efforts were underway to secure an agreement over a consensus list in order to avoid a battle. These attempts have achieved no clear outcome so far.

Friday noon is the deadline for submitting candidacies and elections will take place Monday.

The current board’s term expired last month.

The board is composed of 18 members. Twelve of these represent daily political publications, five weekly or monthly political publications, and one represents nonpolitical publications and news agencies.

The 17 board members representing political publications will be elected by 92 owners or representatives of political publications who have paid their annual subscriptions to the federation. The 17 are elected in one list.

Not all of the 92 publications are being published currently.

The remaining board member representing nonpolitical publications and news agencies will be elected by around 100 voters who have paid their annual subscriptions. The election of this remaining board member is held separately from the vote for representatives of political publications.

The eldest member of the newly elected board will chair the first meeting of the body, during which the 18 members elect a head of the Press Federation from among them.

Although Salam and Kaaki, who are also running for the post of the head of the Press Federation, are both close to the Future Movement, the group is backing Kaaki for the post.

The sources said that the fact that the Future Movement backed Kaaki would boost the prospects of his win.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Kaaki said that securing funds to guarantee the continuous functioning of newspapers and taking care of his colleagues would be the main goals he would work to achieve if he is elected to head the Press Federation.

Asked about the prospects of agreement on a consensus list, Kaaki said: “All options are possible.”

“It would be better to have only one list that wins unopposed,” Kaaki said.

“But it won’t be a problem if a battle takes place. Democracy is good after all, and Lebanon is the first democratic country in the region.”

Kaaki expected that by Thursday or Friday, it would be clear whether a battle would take place or consensus would be achieved on one ticket which would win unopposed.

Salam said he refused to go into details regarding his program before it was clear whether a battle would take place.

Salam said he preferred that consensus was reached on one list rather than having a battle.

“I support a consensus list that wins unopposed. The divisions the country is witnessing are enough,” he said. “The federation has preserved its unity at the peak of divisions which were plaguing the country.”

Salam also questioned whether the elections could be postponed.

The sources said that Salam has actually proposed postponing the polls, but added that his attempt hit a dead end, with the majority supporting holding the elections Monday. The sources expected that Salam would withdraw from the race at the last minute.

Asked whether his withdrawal was a possibility, Salam said: “All options are possible, but it is still too early to discuss this matter from now.”

The council is elected for a three-year term.

The new head of the Press Federation would replace Baalbaki, who has held the post since February 1982.

The sources said that Baalbaki, 94, would likely be elected as an honorary head of the Press Federation, a title he would keep for the rest of his life.

Palestinians gain Turkish citizenship, thanks to baby Erdogan

SIDON, Lebanon: A Turkish flag is raised outside the home of Mohammad Abed Channa in the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Mieh Mieh, and for good reason. He and his wife and son, aptly named Erdogan, recently gained Turkish citizenship.

“Lucky him,” said Mohammad Mohammad Gali, Chanaa’s neighbor. “I wish we could get nationality and leave this mess behind.”

The eight-member Chanaa family resides in an ill-equipped house which lacks even the most basic amenities. Chanaa is currently unemployed but previously worked laying concrete at a factory nearby. The Palestinian family hopes Turkish nationality will bring with it a better life.

Chanaa says the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s staunch condemnation of Israeli policies in Gaza led him to name his son after the leader, a decision that would have life-changing consequences.

“Four years ago in 2010, after the Israeli war on Gaza, the statements made by [then Turkish Prime Minister] Erdogan showing his support for the Palestinian cause was why I named my son Erdogan,” Chanaa explained.

Chanaa’s parents hail from the Palestinian village of Smayriyya. They fled during the 1948 Nakba. Chanaa was born in the notorious refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh, and still believes he will return to his original village someday. The love he has for his country is reflected in his adoration of the Turkish president’s stances toward the Arab-Israeli conflict.

After the 2009-2010 Gaza war, Turkey sent an aid flotilla to Gaza in May which was attacked by the Israelis while crossing international waters. The event led to the deterioration of diplomatic ties between the countries.

During the war, Erdogan fiercely criticized Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip, which had lasted for 22 days.

Chanaa told The Daily Star that he had harbored great hopes that his son would one day meet his namesake. It seems his prayers were answered. His son, born in June 2010, met Erdogan in November of the same year, when he arrived to Sidon to inaugurate a hospital funded by Turkey.

“I was eager to get the kid to see him even from afar because I loved this man so much,” Chanaa explained. But what happened on that inauguration day was beyond his expectations.

“Suddenly, I got a call from MP Bahia Hariri asking me about my son Erdogan and my address. She sent a car to take me to where the launch ceremony was, and there Sheikh [then-Prime Minister] Saad Hariri held my son and introduced him to Erdogan,” Chanaa said.

The Turkish leader was touched to such an extent that he requested that the family prepare their papers and apply for Turkish citizenship. Four years later, with the applications processed and approved, Chanaa’s dreams are coming true.

“After [the meeting] I sent a personal letter to the president, but didn’t get a reply. But I didn’t lose hope,” he explained. With the help of the Palestinian Association for Human Rights, the family was able to contact the Turkish Embassy.

“Suddenly I got a call from the [Turkish] Embassy congratulating me, telling me my son was granted Turkish citizenship. Ten days later they told me my wife and I had also been granted citizenship,” Chanaa said, a picture of his baby son and the Turkish president hanging overhead.

His other children Abdul Rahman, Zahraa, Ibrahim, Ezzeddine and Jihane are still waiting to get their citizenship approved, but Chanaa reckons it won’t take too long.

“They asked me for papers of my children to ensure that they too are granted nationality,” he said.

“When I held the papers approving Turkish nationality, for the first time I felt like a human being,” Chanaa added.

Citizenship, he continued, would give him and his family more freedom to move, travel and enjoy full rights as a citizen.

“I will go wherever I find a better future for my children, we’ve been refugees our whole lives and we’ve suffered a lot,” Chanaa said when asked what was next for him.

“But the first step will be Turkey, hopefully,” he added. Chanaa said he plans to live in Istanbul and wants to learn Turkish.

Erdogan’s mother, Khadija Ibrahim, explained that her child’s name served as a great omen for them. “We thank President Erdogan for his big heart.”

“I hope the citizenship will give us a new life and a better future for my children,” she said, holding her baby son Erdogan, who held a photo of the Turkish leader, saying “we need to go wherever grandfather Erdogan is.”

Chanaa said he teaches his children to follow in the example of Erdogan, and often will relay to them what the Turkish president says when he appears in the news.

“Maybe I will get the right to vote in Turkey, and this is a right that us Palestinian refugees have been denied for ages. If I do I will be sure to elect Erdogan, or someone like him, whose politics are based on morality and not pure self interest,” he added.