French sources informed Shaffaf that Turkish minister of foreign affairs shall arrive to Paris next Friday at the end of a 5-day visit to Syria and Lebanon.
A Turkish source close to the Justice and Development (AKP) has revealed that Turkey’s political and military hierarchy could soon come to the conclusion that a military Turkish intervention in Lebanon has become imperative in order to prevent a complete destabilization of the country and to provide adequate protection for government agencies in the capital, Beirut. Such an intervention would be a major obstacle to a drastic change, in favor of Syria and Hizbullah, in the internal balance of power.
According to the AKP source, and to pro Hariri sources in Beirut, an attempted putsch by Hizbullah and allies (with support by Syria and Iran) could trigger a request by the Arab League, seconded by the UN Security Council, for the Turkish contingent in the UNIFIL (based in South Lebanon, near the Israeli border) to be redeployed in the Lebanese capital.
The Turkish option could represent a number of advantages. While Syria and Iran would, certainly, be opposed to any such step, their opposition to the deployment of Turkish troops would be tempered by their delicate relations with their Turkish neighbor. Syria is not in a position to alienate Turkey for both political and economic reasons. As for Iran, it needs Turkey both to go around international and US sanctions and as a privileged channel for any dialogue with the US. On the other hand, Lebanon’s majority March 14 faction would be in favor of such a development.
Turkey’s minister of foreign affairs, Ahmet Davutoğlu, transmitted a severe message to Syria’s president Bashar Assad during the tripartite meeting (Syria, Turkey and Qatar) which took place in Damascus last Monday. Ahmet Davutoğlu told Assad that PM Saad Hariri is viewed by Turkey as a ‘strategic partner’, adding that the security of Lebanon is vital to Turkey’s security interests- according to pro-Hariri Beirut sources.
In the background, sources claim that the Hariri family, starting with the late Rafik Hariri, had provided financial support for the AKP rise to power in Turkey. The Hariri owned Saudi Oger has become part of Turkey’s economic landscape through its investments in Turkey’s mobile phone networks, its control of Turkish landline monopoly Turk Telekom, as well as a major banking investment in the country.