The first of two military ships sent by Ankara to Beirut to evacuate Turkish nationals docked Thursday evening in the southern port of Mersin, freeing its nervous passengers, relieved to have escaped the fury of the bombings.
“We were living under the threat of bombs, without anything to eat, without electricity, I want to kiss the ground,” exclaims Sevim Abu Shakir, in his forties, as he disembarks, in a hurry to leave the place.
The frigate TGS Bayraktar, which left Beirut the same morning, entered the port shortly after 9:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. GMT). The second ship is expected around midnight (9:00 p.m. GMT), according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which specified that a thousand Turkish nationals had finally requested to be evacuated by sea out of the 2,500 initially registered.
At the bottom of the gangway, on either side, rows of young soldiers wait for passengers and take their luggage.
“Israel dropped its bombs every day, without interruption. It was a long and tiring journey but we are at peace here,” reports Ismail Baysal, in his thirties, who plans to reach Istanbul with his family.
“But I want to return to Beirut as soon as the war is over,” he swears.
The frigates of the Turkish navy, which arrived in the port of Beirut on Wednesday, first unloaded 300 tonnes of humanitarian aid offered by Ankara before returning to sea, escorted to the Lebanese coast and back by two patrol boats responsible for ensuring their security, said the Ministry of Defense.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2,500 people had registered to leave and flee the Israeli bombings on Lebanon, among the 14,000 Turkish nationals registered by the Turkish consulate in Beirut.
Finally, “around a thousand showed up at the assembly points. Some people gave up at the last moment,” he explained.
Thursday evening, as the TGS Bayraktar docked, Israeli aircraft carried out air raids in the heart of the Lebanese capital, causing, according to initial reports, at least 18 dead and nearly 100 injured.
In addition to the bombings, the Israeli army launched ground incursions into southern Lebanon on September 30.
“Lebanon is a small country, Beirut is no longer safe,” regrets Safa Coskun. The young girl worries about her loved ones left behind. “I’m glad that Turkey hasn’t abandoned us,” she slips.
The ministry has promised new evacuations if necessary: ”We will continue to collect applications. Whether or not a new crossing is necessary will be decided based on the applications received,” he said, specifying that a list is also open for charter flights to Turkey.
“Our country will continue to lend a helping hand to the populations of the region in the face of the humanitarian crisis caused by the war spread by Israel (…) and to take all necessary measures to protect the lives and security of the property of its citizens abroad,” also assured the minister, Hakan Fidan, on X.
Foreign nationals who can afford it also leave Lebanon via ferries which operate between Tripoli (north) and the port of Tasucu, in the province of Mersin, each time with 350 passengers on board.
A company official, speaking on condition of anonymity, recalled that its boats had done the same to evacuate families during the war in Syria.
“There are Turks but they are mostly foreigners, with dual nationality (Lebanon) and Australia, Canada and others.”
“These are people who are economically comfortable” and can pay $350 per person, he said.
Upon their arrival in Türkiye, these evacuees hastened to leave the country by the first available plane.
