Beirut – Georges Chahine
Interior Minister in the Lebanese caretaker government Marwan Charbel mocked the scenarios mentioned in the media on the kidnapping of the two Turkish pilots in Beirut on Friday, while investigations are still ongoing. Charbel said to Arab Today: “The investigation is still ongoing and we still do not have accurate information, so? how can some people know where the kidnapped men are? Some say that one is in Baalbeck - where did this information come from? Is anyone from the media in contact with the kidnappers? And ?if it is true, let us know as you might help the investigation so that we can go and negotiate with the captors.” Charbel said he was hopeful a successful ending to the kidnapping was in sight. He said previously in a radio interview that “all the active parties on the ground are helping to ensure the release of the kidnapped, including Hezbollah.”? He denied rumours circulating that the Lebanese embassy in Ankara asked all its citizens in Turkey to immediately leave the country, explaining that this sort of decision requires a meeting of ?the Council of Ministers. Charbel described the relationship with Turkey as “perfect” and asked the media to “minimise their predictions to protect the advancement of the ?investigation to locate the two kidnapped people.”?