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US, Russia Issue Travel Advisories to Lebanon

Smoke billows in the Israeli northern town of Metulla from cross-border rockets launched by Hezbollah from the Lebanese side, as seen from Khiam village, Lebanon, 26 June 2024. EPA/STR
Smoke billows in the Israeli northern town of Metulla from cross-border rockets launched by Hezbollah from the Lebanese side, as seen from Khiam village, Lebanon, 26 June 2024. EPA/STR
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US, Russia Issue Travel Advisories to Lebanon

Smoke billows in the Israeli northern town of Metulla from cross-border rockets launched by Hezbollah from the Lebanese side, as seen from Khiam village, Lebanon, 26 June 2024. EPA/STR
Smoke billows in the Israeli northern town of Metulla from cross-border rockets launched by Hezbollah from the Lebanese side, as seen from Khiam village, Lebanon, 26 June 2024. EPA/STR

The US embassy in Beirut issued a travel advisory on Thursday urging “US citizens to strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon”, citing a “complex security environment”.
“We remind US citizens to strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon. The security environment remains complex and can change quickly”, the embassy said on its website.
Russia’s embassy in Beirut has also called on its citizens to refrain from traveling to Lebanon until the situation settles down in the southern part of the country.
Earlier, several Arab and Western countries issued travel advisories calling on their citizens to refrain from traveling to the Mediterranean country.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Hamas October 7 attack on Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.
Tensions have been rising in recent days with growing exchanges of fire.

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Erdogan Says Türkiye Can ‘Crush’ All Terrorists in Syria

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a press conference during the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 19, 2024. (AFP)
Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a press conference during the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Erdogan Says Türkiye Can ‘Crush’ All Terrorists in Syria

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a press conference during the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 19, 2024. (AFP)
Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a press conference during the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 19, 2024. (AFP)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Wednesday that Türkiye had the power and ability to "crush" all terrorists in Syria, including ISIS and Kurdish militants, while urging all countries to "take their hands off" Syria.

Since last month's fall of Bashar al-Assad, Türkiye has said repeatedly it was time for the Kurdish YPG militia to disband. Ankara considers the group, which spearheads the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a terrorist organization.

Ankara has said the new Syrian administration must be given an opportunity to address the YPG presence, but also threatened to mount a new cross-border operation against the militia based in northeast Syria if its demands are not met.

Speaking in parliament, Erdogan said the YPG was the biggest problem in Syria now, and added that the group would not be able to escape its inevitable end unless it lays down its arms.

"Regarding fabricated excuses like ISIS, these have no convincing side anymore," Erdogan said, referring to the US position that the YPG was a key partner against ISIS in Syria and that it plays a vital role guarding prison camps where the extremist militants are kept.

"If there is really a fear of the ISIS threat in Syria and the region, the biggest power that has the will and power to resolve this issue is Türkiye," he said.

"Everyone should take their hands off Syria and we, along with our Syrian siblings, will crush the heads of ISIS, the YPG and other terrorist organizations in a short time."

Türkiye has repeatedly asked its NATO ally the United States to halt support for the SDF, and has said the new administration in Syria had offered to take over the management of the prisons.