President Joseph Aoun upon his arrival at Ankara airport on July 30, 2026. (Photo published on the X account of the Lebanese presidency)
President Joseph Aoun arrived in Ankara on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. local time for an official visit during which he is scheduled to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss economic and security cooperation between Lebanon and Turkey.
According to a statement from the Presidential Palace in Baabda published on X, Joseph Aoun was welcomed by Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Ankara Deputy Governor Cem Afşin Akbay, interim commander of the Ankara garrison, General Ayhan Kalender, Ankara Deputy Mayor Faruk Köylüoğlu, as well as Lebanon’s ambassador to Turkey, Mounir Anouti.
This visit is expected, according to available information, to focus mainly on economic and energy issues, as well as certain security matters, notably the issue of displaced Syrians, an issue both countries have faced since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011.
The first stop of the visit took Aoun to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, where he laid a wreath and observed a minute of silence. He then left a message in the mausoleum’s guest book, in which he stated that "President Atatürk’s experience, marked by his determination and loyalty to his ideals despite all difficulties, remains an inspiration for all people aspiring to build a true state," adding that "the Lebanese people, friends of the Turkish people, see in this experience a model for strengthening a state of law and institutions, a state based on justice and equality."
